Taming of the Light
by Awen Sofer
Summary: Light Yagami is a self-righteous, egotistical jerk who really believes he's god. No one else has ever bothered to tell him any differently until now. He arbitrarily took her brother's life so now she wants his. She has a hatchet to bury with him. Preferably in his head. OC/somewhat AU
1. Hillie Dayton

Hillie Dayton

There he stood in all his glory; a god among men and a hero in his own mind - Light Yagami. That bastard. She had to admit he was quite beautiful, beyond handsome for a man. He had shiny, shaggy brown hair and deep brown eyes that reminded her of milk chocolate. Beyond that the only she would admit was that he was an asshole. His uniform was so neatly starched and pressed it screamed arrogant tight ass. He was a new police academy graduate and had been assigned to the Intelligence Department because he was one of these bored genius types who loves to grace the rest of the lowly humans with his overwhelming intellect to reveal earth shattering revelations to the unworthy stupid people who dare to breathe his air. _ God complex._ She stared at the words on the bio compiled by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigations in the folder she was holding. The FBI was sure he had killed Agent Penber and several other agents years earlier but had yet to find definitive proof. One of those agents was her brother. She had stolen the folder and any other documents that had Kira or Light Yagami's name on them from her dead brother's apartment years ago before the agents could get there to seize them. She had researched and read documents containing all sorts of personal private information about him because she was purposely seeking him out for her own reasons. She was not here for business. She was here for pleasure. It was going to be her great pleasure to seduce him, break him, and kill him.

Hilliard Dayton. She was not an FBI agent, a spy, or an assassin. She was nothing more than an angry sister seeking revenge. Her brother had always accused her of being sadistic and obsessive seeking to inflict mental and emotional injuries in recompense for any wrong done to her. He had seen her do it to many boyfriends and some of his ex-girlfriends that she felt deserved it for hurting him. She had learned from the best; their father was a behavioral psychologist with the FBI who had investigated some of the most infamous and horrifying criminals in the twentieth century particularly serial killers. The one outstanding personality trait among the habitual murderers was that they were all great manipulators. They could convince anyone to do anything and that ultimately led to hapless victim's deaths. Light Yagami fit the profile perfectly particularly after what happened to that weak minded twit Misa Amane. She would have felt sorry for the girl if Misa had not fallen in love with a unscrupulous, scheming, egocentric jerk. The quickest and easiest way for a woman to mess up her life is to 'fall in love' with a man especially one like that. Puh. She shoved the folder in her satchel and readied herself. Here he comes.

Hillie pushed the loose strand of golden brown hair behind her ear and launched herself off the bench leaving her leather bag behind on purpose. Knowing the type of guy Light is, he would grab the bag and run after her. He wanted to right all wrong things, even the small things. She was here to right a BIG wrong.

"Hey! Hey, Miss! You forgot your bag!" he yelled in English snatching it from the bench and running after her.

Hillie pretended to ignore him, unbuttoning the top two buttons of her blouse and positioning the girls to make their introduction to Light Yagami. Her nickname had been the source of many bad jokes from men considering her enormous breast size. 'Hillie? Your name should be Mountainous' was by far her favorite pun yet. It took an inebriated, horny brain trust to come up with that one.

"Hey Lady!" he bellowed.

Hillie could hear his footfalls gaining on her. Allowing the unruly and determined to be free wisp of hair to swing across her face she turned around. "Are you talking to me, sir?" she asked in fluent Japanese. She bit her lower lip to keep from laughing when he was literally taken aback and stumbled backwards a few steps. No, she was not the average dumb ass American tourist here to make fun of the Japanese. Her mother was a linguistics expert with the FBI and she had been trained to speak fluently in seven different languages. Her parents and her big brother had been horribly disappointed and nearly crushed when she did not follow the family lead and become an agent. She was accused of frittering away her intelligence and abilities by her workaholic, overachieving parents. At least she was not dead like her brother because of following their dreams. She wondered how many times they wished it had been her that was dead.

"Miss? Are you all right?" Light inquired, his voice sounding as if he actually cared. She knew better.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I suppose that's why I forgot my bag. I'm a little rattled today. I'm here on a vacation to…" She allowed her words to trail off and pushed the swath of hair behind her ear. Slowly raising her eyes from the ground in a very coquettish way she fluttered her lashes and offered him a shy smile. "There's just some past pains I need to bury."

Light smiled at her intrigued by her ability to speak Japanese so well. He held the bag out to her and her hand brushed his as she reached to take it. His grin broadened as she blushed slightly then bowed respectfully before taking the leather bag and turning to walk away. How very fascinating. She was not the typical rude, brash American tourist by any means. He shook his head and turned to walk away in the opposite direction. Looking back one last time, he watched the nice swing of her hips in the tight business skirt. It had been a while since he had a woman in his bed. She was a tourist and would be going home eventually. She would be the perfect temporary fix for him. He could fulfill a few urges then she would go away forever. He was very curious about those enormous breasts of hers as well.

"Hey, wait!" he called, jogging to catch up with her.

"Yes?" she queried coolly, looking into his deep brown eyes that seemed to be dead and emotionless. It was a pity such pretty eyes rimmed with dark black lashes should be so cold and lifeless.

"I'm Light Yagami. I could show you a few of the sites while you are here if you would like. Can I get your phone number?" he asked boldly, showing absolutely no signs of nervousness. It was not even a possibility to him that a woman would turn him down.

Hillie smiled keeping her lips closed so her expression would not betray her wish to bite him. She hated men who harbored as much conceit and arrogance as him. Reaching to grab his phone from his hands, her smile broadened with his look of surprise and offense from her action. She typed in the number of the disposable phone she had bought at the airport upon her arrival then pressed send to call her phone and put it in the memory of his phone.

"I'm Hillie Dayton. Call me, Light Yagami. Until then I'll be hanging out by the pool at my hotel waiting for your call," she told him, giving him a dazzling smile that showed all of her pearly white teeth. Her brown almost maroon eyes met his briefly before she turned to stroll away making sure she used her loose hipped swaying gait that men loved to watch. She smiled triumphantly as she headed in the direction of her hotel. She had been completely sincere with what she had told him. His call should be coming around five thirty when he was off work and headed home.

* * *

Light stared at the phone in his hand debating whether he should waste his time with the American tourist. He allowed a picture of her to form in his mind. Her golden brown hair that was straight and flowed down past her shoulders, her ruddy brown eyes, her ivory colored skin. He smiled when he remembered the freckles that covered her nose and tops of her cheeks beneath those alluring brown eyes of hers. She was not exceptionally beautiful, but she was definitely pretty. He did like the way she had looked at him with her doe like eyes. His mind's eye wandered further down her body to the memory of her gigantic breasts. Women here did not have breasts like that even with plastic surgery. He could tell they were natural too the way the bounced and swayed heavily when she moved. An uncomfortable throbbing hardness formed beneath his waist when he envisioned grasping her wide hips while she moved on top of him. Oh, yeah. He would definitely be giving her a call.

Hillie ignored the phone as it vibrated across the nightstand by the hotel bed. She continued drying her hair. She had just stepped out of the shower and was in no big hurry to answer his call. When seducing a man, a woman NEVER acts like she is waiting for him. Any hint of desperation strikes fear in the heart of a man; such skittish creatures who put up a false front of courage and self-assurance. Plus it would drive him crazy that she did not answer because she had assured him she would be waiting for his call. This statement implied that she would be sitting in great anticipation with phone in hand for him to decide to make her millennium and bless her with his attention. Oh, my master, my god. It was nauseating really. Five minutes later while she was inspecting the fine coating of freckles that had appeared on her skin from her time in the sun, her phone began running away on the highly polished surface again. He was more impatient than she had first thought he would be. She was expecting a fifteen minute wait before he tried again.

"Bitch!" Light exclaimed to himself, drawing stares from the people around him. 'Stop staring at me, you cretins. I'll say what I damn well want, when I want,' he thought to himself while returning their glares. He felt like throwing the phone and stomping it into a million tiny pieces of plastic and metal parts. She must be in the shower or something. There was no way she would be rejecting him. He would give her one more chance; the third time would be the last time however.

"Hello?" she answered finally.

"Oh, Miss Dayton," he called cheerily, masking his anger like any master manipulator. Maybe he would throttle her as she neared an orgasm. He did not want to kill her; he would not choke her all the way out. It was supposed to heighten the pleasure to bring a person to that point of almost blacking out and releasing them at the pinnacle of the orgasm. It would certainly heighten his pleasure. He could always write her name down in the…but no. He would just screw her a few good times and then allow her to return to America – land of the ignorant and home of the inept.

"Who is this?" she asked, breaking him from his reverie.

"Wh-What?" he stuttered in shocked disbelief. How could she not remember him? They had spoken barely eight hours ago and he was – he was Light Yagami, dammit! He had women falling all over themselves wanting to be with him and he wanted none of them. How dare she – ?

"Oh, Light!" she squealed excitedly. Hillie rolled her eyes and pretended to gag herself with her finger. "I didn't recognize your voice. I'm so sorry."

'This is more like it,' Light thought to himself with a self-important smirk tilting his lips. "Would you like to go out tonight? I can take you to dinner. You have to eat right?"

"Of course. Come pick me up at eight. Room six oh two at the Imperial Dragon Suites," she said, hanging up the phone.

Light stared at his phone as if it were a two headed monster. He was once again floored by her odd reaction. Did she just give him an order and hang up on him? What the fu –


	2. The First Date

The First Date

Hillie had just tied the belt on her simple forest green wrap dress when he knocked on her hotel room door. She smiled victoriously not surprised by his punctuality. 8:00 read the green digital numbers on the alarm clock sitting on the dresser. Fluffing up her loose, flowing hair, she checked her make up one last time before answering the door.

There he stood looking quite dashing in a navy blue suit with a white shirt underneath and navy blue tie with red and beige stripes on it. Light Yagami did make a pretty picture; too bad the heart of a cold blooded killer beat beneath that totally hot exterior. He held out the single red rose to her, giving her a flawless smile full of impeccable white teeth.

"Hello again, Mr. Yagami," Hillie greeted him, sniffing the wonderful fragrance of the rose. She broke off most of the stem and slid the flower behind her ear.

"You look lovely this evening, Miss Dayton," he complimented, grazing her cheek with his fingertips on his way to run his fingers through her hair.

Who's seducing who here? For a moment she was not sure. Hillie went back to her southern roots, drawing from her Olde Southern Belle upbringing as she blushed and slipped her arm through his. He was going to be in charge of this field trip only because she let him. At least for tonight, she would let him think he owned her.

"Where will you be taking me tonight?" she asked sportingly, making sure she pressed her breast against his arm as they walked.

"I made reservations for us at a restaurant," he answered as they stepped into the elevator together.

Hillie smiled at him pleasantly, although she was seething inside. 'Of course you made reservations without asking me what I liked, you control freak!' her brain screamed. She had expected this, but it still irritated her greatly. Apparently, the restaurant was not too far from the hotel because they began walking.

"How long will you be staying in Japan?" Light inquired, shoving his hands deep in his pockets.

"About three weeks. I just wanted to get away for a while. There's some unresolved hurts I need to work through," she cryptically answered having no more desire to divulge details than he did to hear them. "Tell me about you. Why did you decide to be a police officer?"

"Because of my father," he replied with a sad grin on his face. "He was Chief of the National Police Agency."

"Was?" She knew what happened to his father, but she wanted to hear his version.

"He's dead. He was killed by a bomb while investigating the Kira case." He stared down at the toes of his shiny brown dress shoes.

"Kira?" God, she hated acting clueless, but it was a necessary evil at this moment.

"You don't know who Kira is?" he asked incredulously, halting his steps to turn and look at her.

Hillie kept her eyes as vacant as possible when she questioned like a vacuous, bubble brain, "I am an American. Why would I care about something going on in this country?"

Light's eyebrows drew together immediately, indicating his impatience and anger at the thoughtless question. He disentangled himself from her and pushed her away slightly with an expression of disgust on his face.

Hillie could see she had pushed that one too far. How to recover was the question now.

"Light, I apologize. I did not mean to sound so callous and ignorant especially since we were previously discussing your father's death," she said, her eyes locking with his. She moved toward him, pressing her breasts against his chest while maintaining eye contact. "Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?"

'Oh, damn!' he felt like swearing out loud. Those big, gorgeous doe eyes pleading with him like that while her huge voluptuous breasts pushed against his chest completely obliterated his resolve to hate her and walk away from her.

"Will you tell me who Kira is?" she asked, stepping away to link her arm through his again.

Light had to pause a moment longer until he was able to walk again. The blood had rushed elsewhere and that was keeping his body from responding for many reasons. He patted her hand that was hooked around his arm, and they continued on to the restaurant as he explained who and what Kira is.

The restaurant was elegant with traditional low tables and cushions to sit on. They were led to their own private room surrounded by shoji screens. Hillie took his hands so he could help her down to a sideways sitting position with her legs folded beside her. She wanted to maintain a sense of modesty and decorum; to remain a lady. The time to be not so ladylike would come soon enough.

"Sake or tea?" he inquired, smiling at her.

"Both," she answered, looking over the menu. She was starving and about to open her mouth to order when he piped up and rattled off a list of dishes. Glaring at him with deadly intent, she resisted the urge to kill him at this moment. His controlling ways were wearing on her more quickly than she had anticipated.

"I hope you don't mind that I ordered for the both of us," he stated without trying to cover the insincerity in his voice.

Hillie did not say a word as she watched him pour her a cup of tea then a cup of sake. Reaching for the sake first, she forgot all about propriety and kicked it back like a shot of tequila and asked for more without touching the tea.

'Oh, good. She's one of _those kind_ of girls,' Light thought to himself when he refilled her sake cup.

It was a good thing Hillie did not know what he was thinking or she really would kill him. What Light did not know, and she would be ashamed to admit, was that she had a very high alcohol tolerance. They chose mundane topics of conversation like their interests and hobbies. Eventually the conversation became more personal with the topic of past relationships being breached.

"Misa-Misa was my last girlfriend," he said, stunned once again by her underreaction. She did not know who the famed popstar and actress Misa-Misa was? This could actually be a positive thing.

"Did you love her?" she asked, sipping her fourth cup of sake.

"Yes," he lied, refilling her cup. He was shamelessly plying her with alcohol. He could have charmed her out of her panties but why bother putting forth all that effort if sake could do most of the work for him.

"What happened?" she inquired, although she already knew.

Even if she did not know the full story, she would have known he was lying about loving the dead girl. He had never loved her – ever. He had only used her as a puppet to cover his misdeeds and commit heinous acts to assist him. Hillie pondered how he had gotten away with sabotaging the case so badly that it had become completely unsolvable. And right under his poor father's nose.

"Well, I can't say for sure, but I believe she killed herself because she sank into a deep depression over her parents' deaths. She never had gotten over that. The memories still haunted her. I suppose – I suppose I just wasn't enough to save her," he murmured shakily, managing to squeeze out a tear.

Oh, bravo! Hillie barely managed not to give him a standing ovation for that performance. Where is an Emmy when you need one? Instead, she leaned over to him, placing her arm around his shoulders while nestling her face against his neck. She reached up to touch his face, swiping that single crocodile tear away with her thumb.

"Oh, Light, it wasn't your fault," she cooed, pressing her hand against his cheek as she raised her head to look at him. "She just wasn't strong enough to withstand the pain. I can already tell you're a wonderful, loving man with a good heart."

'Oh, god, kill me now,' she thought to herself, keeping a soft, dreamy eyed look in her eyes as his eyes probed hers. An electrical tingle of excitement shot down her spine when his hand went to her jaw and his eyes fluttered shut when he leaned toward her. The whoosh of the shoji screen being opened broke the seductive spell and they swiftly separated. The food had arrived. The subject of conversation during dinner was concentrated on the topic of her sightseeing schedule.

"On Saturday, I would be happy to go with you. I would like to take you to the Shin-Kobe Ropeway. The view is stunning, and we can visit the Nunobiki Herb Garden," he said, feeling the need to feed her suddenly.

Hillie was shocked by the unexpected act of affection which left her almost unable to chew the slice of tender beef he had shoved between her lips. His sake must be kicking in because such a warm gesture did not seem normal for him even when playacting. She gave up trying to feed herself since he continued to give her food from his dish. He would sometimes preface it by stating, "Here. Try this." Other times she had to be on her toes and open up quickly before she was stabbed with the chopsticks.

Light knew exactly what he was doing. He was testing her to see how submissive she would be. So far she had passed the test with flying colors. He had fully expected the American to become unhinged early on when he had made reservations without consulting her for her opinion. Another pleasant shock came when she offered no resistance or catty remarks to him when he ordered everything. At present, she was passively allowing him to feed her as if she were a helpless baby bird. It was also quite erotic to shove the food into her mouth and watch her pretty pink lips enclose the bite. He liked watching her tongue flick out to retrieve any drips of sauce he 'accidently' dribbled across her lips. He planned on putting that nice-looking mouth of hers to good use later on the aching problem she had caused for him earlier.

Hillie could see the lust growing exponentially in his eyes. It surprised her that he was not even trying to hide it. Maybe he assumed she was too drunk to notice. She could barely wait for dessert.

Dessert was a picture perfect cake covered with white icing and a delicious variety of fruit. This seemed to be the official dessert of Japan because she had seen it so many times on Japanese television shows and advertisements.

Light picked up the big strawberry in the middle and held it out to her. He watched hungrily, but not for food, as she compliantly opened her mouth for him. Touching her tongue with it, he pulled it back out before she could bite it. He did again, permitting her to bite off nothing more than the tip of the fruit. A devious smile curled his lips as she pouted, poking out her luscious pink lips. He wanted to kiss her. What the hell was going on? This woman was making him lose all semblance of control.

"Do you want it?" he inquired, taking a bite off of it. A ripple of desire coursed through him unexpectedly when she moaned and whined, biting her bottom as he chewed. He noticed she was staring at his mouth like he was hers. "Kiss me."

"What?" she asked, tilting her head like a confused puppy.

"Kiss me," he ordered, popping the rest of the strawberry into his mouth.

Holy shit! Hillie leaned forward, licking his bottom lip. Her belly tightened with arousal when she tasted the sweetness of the strawberry. The tip of her tongue poked at the slight parting between his lips and he opened wider. She pressed her lips against his, entering his mouth with a probing tongue that wanted to taste him and the strawberry. This was unanticipated. He was delightfully arousing and she could feel a warmth and wetness growing between her legs as the juice and flavor of the strawberry flooded her mouth from his. If they made it through dessert without having sex right here in the restaurant, it would be a miracle.

Hillie tore her lips from his before it came to that point. She swiped her finger through the icing on the cake, sticking it in her mouth to suck it off. Her eyes met his briefly before his lowered to her mouth. She closed her eyes and moaned as she pulled her finger from her mouth allowing it to pull her lip down a bit.

'Oh, god, I'm going to screw her so hard,' he thought as he watched her drag her finger through the icing again.

"Wanna lick me?" she asked, holding her finger out to him.

Light stared at her unable to react at first. What a fabulously outrageous innuendo. He opened his mouth, feeling her finger tentatively pass his lips and wait for him to respond. Sucking the sweet, creaminess from her finger, he felt like he would release when her eyes fluttered shut, and she moaned his name. This attractive woman gave new meaning to the phrase 'an intimate dinner for two.'

* * *

Hillie had once again attached herself to his arm but pulled herself away as they neared her room door. She punched in her code and the door popped open. Turning back to face him, she smiled when he stepped forward and slid his arms around her waist. She sighed as their lips made contact while her fingers slid through the hair on the back of his head. The kiss was short and quite virtuous, especially when considering their conduct at the restaurant.

"I would invite you in, but I'm very drunk. I'm sure you need to get up early as well for work. Thank you for the lovely evening," she said, reaching out to touch his cheek.

"You are welcome. When can I see you again?" he asked, allowing his hand to slide over the swell of her hip. His other hand reached up to retrieve the rose from her hair.

"Is tomorrow night too soon?" Hill inquired breathily, lowering her eyes as he traced the silhouette of her face with the silky petals of the rose. She cursed her body for the favorable reaction it was having to him. Arousal made her belly tighten, and she was shivering slightly. Her lips tingled when he took the extra time to outline them with a feather light touch from the flower.

"Tomorrow night," Light responded, kissing her again. This time he was a little more aggressive, holding her firmly enough that her breasts were crushed against his chest and thrusting his tongue into her mouth as if he were staking a claim to her. When the kiss ended, he tucked the short stemmed rose into her cleavage while holding her ardent gaze.

Hillie could barely breathe when he let her go but she forced herself to take measured, calm breaths while backing into her hotel room.

"Good night," she murmured with a bashful smile on her lips.

"Until tomorrow night," he returned, walking away from her door before she closed it. If he did not leave, he was sure he would push his way into her room and take what he wanted whether she would give it willingly or not.

Hillie felt absolutely euphoric. It had worked. The trap she had set worked marvelously. All she had to do now was keep him dangling like a fish on a hook. Kicking off her shoes, she took off her dress and put on her short silk nightgown. Resisting the temptation to invite him in had been so difficult yet she had done it. 'Always leave them wanting more and they'll call you back,' singer Bobby Womack once said. That principal definitely applies with men.

"I'm very drunk indeed," she muttered to herself. She had been sober since dessert.

Walking out onto her hotel room balcony to look over the gorgeously lit up city, she began plotting her next move.


	3. Caving In Emotionally

Caving In Emotionally

Hillie growled when her phone chirped at her like an annoying bird announcing the morning. Cracking open one eye, she snatched the irritating device from the nightstand. Hitting ignore, she looked at the time. 7:01 AM! She was on vacation for Pete's sake! Well, kind of… She sat up in bed with a squeal after reading the text.

_Good morning, Sunshine. I will be sending a surprise to your room to give you a wonderful start to your day. I hope to finish your night with something to make you smile. _

"Ooooh, flirty, flirty Light Yagami," she mumbled to herself. "Why the hell did I squeal like that?"

Hillie shrugged off the juvenile reaction and leapt from the bed when the knock sounded on the door. She was so thrilled that her mentioned surprise had arrived she forgot to grab a robe. Flinging open the door, she made the day of the young man with room service standing in front of him dressed in nothing but the small piece of white silk that was barely a gown. She stood back from the door to allow him to roll the cart inside. Bending over to retrieve her purse from the side of the bed, she rifled around for her wallet to get him a tip.

"Oh, a tip is not necessary ma'am. I've already received my reward from you," he stated bluntly smiling at her with a wide, ridiculous grin on his face.

Hillie followed him to the door, locking it and engaging the safety latch once he was outside. She shivered while muttering 'ewww' before turning her attention back to the tray. There was a huge array chrysanthemums in a vase that ranged in color from the palest yellow to an intense fiery red. It looked like the colors of the sun in various stages from sunrise to sunset. She picked out one of the fluffy orange colored mums while her mind pondered what these flowers represented in the Japanese culture. For obvious reasons it is viewed as a symbol of the sun. It is also considered to embody perfection due to the orderly unfolding of the chrysanthemum's petals. There was a gleaming silver coffee service on the tray with a red china cup and saucer sitting between the sugar bowl and cream pitcher. Uncovering the plate, she was ecstatic to see that eggs benedict and fresh fruit awaited her.

"Well, Light, you have really outdone yourself," she said out loud. She swiftly got down to the business of demolishing the succulent food.

After her unexpected and very much enjoyed breakfast, Hillie decided to take in a few of the sites around town to occupy herself. She made it a point to be in front of the NPA building around lunchtime. Texting him a one word question ( _Lunch?),_ she waited for his reply while sitting on the same bench where she had 'accidentally' left her satchel.

_Where are you?_ He texted back.

_Downstairs. Out front._ She replied.

_Give me fifteen minutes. _

Hillie smiled. The image formed in her mind of a fish defenselessly flinging its body back and forth while a treacherous metal hook was firmly imbedded in its mouth. Her heart sped up, and she felt hot when she saw him stroll out of the building straight toward her. She wondered for a second who the fish represented: him or her. Pushing the thought out of her mind, she was flabbergasted when he walked right to her and pressed a swift kiss to her lips. Public displays of affection were still frowned upon and not often practiced even in modern Japan. Her whole body was electrified with excitement from the exceedingly brief and very unforeseen gesture of affection.

"Is there anything in particular you would like to eat?" he inquired, shoving his hands into his pants pockets.

What game are you playing, Light Yagami? He was being awfully accommodating today. Practically sycophantic. Did he want to get into her panties that badly? Yes; the answer came with disturbing clarity when she caught him unashamedly staring at her breasts. Oh, he was making this way too easy. Hillie was growing disappointed.

"You choose. You know the local restaurants better than I do," she answered, putting her arm through his to allow him to lead her.

Hillie was glad she let him pick the restaurant. She stared in awe at the interior of the plain, undecorated eatery that consisted of two chefs working at food stations in the middle of a big square that surrounded them. The square had a conveyor belt that ran across the top. The chefs prepared dishes and sat them on the belt which completed the circuit about every five minutes. Tables and chairs lined the edges of the square and people would choose whatever dishes they wanted from the belt as it went by. Two waitresses stood on opposite sides watching the people and writing down everything they took.

"This is the weirdest thing I've ever seen. It's absolutely fascinating," she said, walking to a table with a gentle urging hand from Light on the small of her back. She giggled through lunch from this unusual and highly entertaining little adventure.

"I'll be coming to pick you up tonight at seven. Is that all right?" Light queried when they stood outside of the police building.

Is he really asking permission? Hillie was not sure if she should run away or fall in love. Her eyes met his and her stomach somersaulted leaving her feeling queasy. _Run away. _But she had come too far for this to just run away. She would just have to shake it off and get a grip on herself. That was one of the interesting things she had learned about emotions not only did they change with any little whim, they could be changed with a logical decision when necessary. At this moment, it was necessary.

"I'll see you tonight?" He stepped forward, pulling her into him for a firm embrace.

"Yes, definitely. Seven, right?" she asked, looking up into his eyes. They were so frighteningly emotionless and calculating.

Light nodded, kissing her forehead before she dropped her arms from around him. He watched her walk away. She was a vision of sex appeal when walking away swishing those lovely hips. Soon very soon he would have her.

* * *

The loud, insistent knock sounded like someone was pounding on her brain. Hillie barked that she was on her way so the person would stop hammering the door. She had accidentally fallen asleep; too many margaritas in the heat by the pool was to blame. She tentatively opened the door peeking out to make sure it was not that lecherous little creep from room service. Her chest seized and she could barely breathe when she saw Light standing there in khaki pants and a button down shirt with no tie. Handsome and wound tightly as always. Did he even own a pair of jeans? Or horror upon fashion horrors, a pair of shorts and a t-shirt?

"Are you all right?" he asked, pushing back the door to barge his way into her room.

"Light! What the hell…" she protested when he nearly knocked her down by shoving the door.

Goose bumps raised on her skin when the cool air from the air conditioner swept over her in a gust. She was wearing a bright green tank top and white short shorts.

"Aren't you a little overdressed for a casual date?" she sniped, folding her arms under her breasts.

"Aren't you a little _under_dressed for…damn near anything?" he retorted, putting his hands on his hips. "Get some clothes on."

"You're not my boyfriend!" she yelled, backing away from him. "Even if you were, you couldn't tell me what to do!"

Light wanted to throttle her right here, right now – no sex necessary. Exasperating, irksome, wearisome pain in the ass! He swallowed his anger and his pride which was enough to choke a horse by itself. He refused to blow up at her because he was too close to getting what he wanted. Never before had he gone to such lengths for sex. For other things, like killing people, yes. But never over a woman. Why her? This stubborn, irritating American woman! What made her so special? His eyes moved to her impressive rack. Oh, yeah – that's it.

"Come on," he said, grabbing her hand. "There's somewhere I want to take you."

* * *

'Where ever we're going it better be damn good,' Hillie was thinking to herself when they were crammed into a Subway car like sardines in a tin. It was lucky for him she was not claustrophobic, although she still felt like clawing his eyes out and screaming, "Let me out of here!" The train lurched suddenly and she was thrown into Light who was standing in front of her. His arm went around her waist to keep her held close to him. She debated whether she wanted to relax into him and lay her head on his shoulder or push him away and risk being in the arms of the large, sweaty business man behind her. That man had already been rubbing against her behind every chance he could get. She shuddered with the thought of why he kept allowing his middle to graze her behind. Light tightened his grip on her and helped her make her decision. Laying her head on his shoulder, she turned her face toward him so that her lips brushed across his neck.

"We'll be there soon," he assured her, rubbing his cheek against hers.

That was really…sweet. Hillie never imagined he could be so thoughtful and downright cute. He was right. Five minutes later they were at their stop and disembarked from the train. When they surfaced, it was like being on another planet full of lights, noise, and too many people. It seemed as if every building was lit up. Some buildings had stationary lights that were all one color. Others were a full blown light show in all colors of the rainbow that blinked and seemed to move as it changed and transformed making shapes and other artistic creations in light. One building even had a laser light projecting images across its face.

"You haven't seen the best part yet," he whispered in her ear as she gaped like a child with speechless fascination and wonderment.

Hillie gulped when she stared at the gargantuan Ferris wheel that lit up the night and completely obliterated any source of darkness within at least a mile. Her feet were frozen to the ground momentarily but Light jerked her forward to get her moving. When did he start holding her hand? Maybe he had been holding it the whole time and she was too mesmerized by the fantastic sites around her to notice. This was better than fireworks and just as beautiful. She could stand and look at the astonishing display of lights as long as she wanted instead of it being over within a few seconds. Sneaking a glance at Light, she hoped he was like this visual spectacle rather than a fireworks display in bed. She wanted the experience to grab her attention and hold it while taking her breath away; not look pretty and be exciting for a few minutes before one big bang and it's over.

"Ready?" he asked, giving her a smile that made her heart beat faster.

"I'm ready for anything with you," she replied, gasping when he pulled her in for a kiss. That was a completely sincere statement.

The Ferris wheel ride was amazing. They could see the whole city from the top. It looked like a patchwork quilt in lights. Light held her to his side the whole time. Hillie had this disturbing fluttery feeling in her stomach the entire ride. She ignored it and chalked it up to the immense height of the Ferris wheel.

"Look at the bridge. It's called Rainbow Bridge," he said, pointing toward it.

It was easy to see why: it did in fact look like a big rainbow stretched across the water. The cars going across the bridge resembled stars or meteors shooting across the rainbow against the night sky. It was simply breath taking.

* * *

"Thank you for another incredible evening," Hillie said at her hotel room door.

"You're welcome. I was glad I could give you a memorable day from start to finish," he told her, sliding his fingers through her hair. He laid his hand on her shoulder and slid it down her arm while he leaned toward her for a kiss.

Hillie held her breath when his lips touched hers. She pushed her fingers into his silky soft hair, pulling slightly on their way through. Her body reacted with a flash of heat and her stomach clenched with carnal excitement when he moaned into her mouth. She slid her tongue through his lips to touch his. It was her turn to moan when his hand grabbed her derrière and pulled her tightly against him to show her how much he wanted her.

"Light," she moaned against his lips. Not yet. She had to make him (and herself) wait. Pushing him away, she forced tears to her eyes.

"What is it?" he asked, stroking her long hair and her back. What could she possibly be crying about? Damn, he was so close to getting her.

"I-I'm just not ready," she sniffed, reaching up to wipe away the insincere tears that were not even close to falling.

Seriously? What kind of preparations does it take for sex besides a condom?

"All right. I understand," he said, embracing her firmly to reassure her. He did not understand and he did not care to understand to be truthful. Tomorrow night would be her last night to accept him as a lover. If she did not, he would not be seeing her again. Pursuing her had already been more trouble than he had anticipated. Unfortunately, he had one of those aggravating personalities that he does not like to lose and will not give up easily. However, he was also terribly impatient, and he was coming to the end of his patience with her. Little did he know that it was those two factors she was playing on.

"Tomorrow night?" she asked, biting her full pink lower lip as she raised her deep brown doe eyes to his.

"Definitely," he returned, kissing her once more before she retreated into her room.

Light was furious with himself. Weak, sad, and absolutely shameful. When had he become such a pathetic pushover who caves with a long look from those reddish brown eyes? She was doing things to him that he did not like. Soon, she better do something to him that he did like or…or what? Damn.


	4. Light's Seduction

Light's Seduction

Hillie received another good morning text message promptly at 7:00AM. She wondered if he was attempting to aggravate her into submission or make her more compliant by keeping her from sleeping. It was astounding that he was not more tired from the late nights and early mornings. He even had to work in between while she could nap or relax by the pool. She had managed to take in a little site seeing but not much. But of course she was not here to see the sites. The knock on the door from room service got her out of bed. This time she grabbed her robe and had a tip waiting on the dresser. Thankfully the employee was a different person; it was a female. She was pleasant and friendly, bowing respectfully after receiving her tip. Hillie did not feel the need to follow her and double lock the door.

The flowers on her tray were white and pink orchids which were a painfully obvious sexual innuendo due to their resemblance to certain anatomical parts. The breakfast was waffles covered with strawberries and cream. Hillie could get accustomed to being spoiled like this. However, she remembered who was doing this and that he had an ulterior motive. He always had a hidden agenda. She sighed despondently feeling a heaviness settle in her chest. It was a shame really. She could fall in love with him if he were not the cold-blooded, insensitive, egotistical prick who had killed her brother. Throwing down her fork, she pushed the tray away because she no longer felt like eating. Lying down on the bed, she allowed her mind to wander. Her thoughts filled with Light Yagami bleeding and dying slowly in agony from wounds inflicted by her hands. She wanted him to suffer for what he had done; for what he had caused her to go through.

Hillie sighed noisily again with exasperation forcing herself up from the bed. There was no time to feel sorry for herself. She showered and dressed. When she was walking through the lobby, she stopped by the hotel concierge's desk on a whim to ask if there were any restaurants or bakeries who packed complete picnic lunches. The concierge was happy to inform her that the hotel restaurant provided that service.

An hour later, Hillie was waiting on the bench in front of the National Police Agency with a basket full of food for her impromptu picnic with Light. She was greeted with a kiss; a passionate, persistent kiss that made her pulse race and her heart beat madly. Reigning herself in took the whole walk to the nearby park where they spread a blanket under a shady tree and prepared to eat. There was an array of finger foods: tiny sandwiches, mini quiches, chocolate covered fruit, and even sushi. She willingly opened her mouth to allow him to feed her but only after she was able to feed him first.

They talked and laughed, throwing crumbs to the birds that gathered around them. They were both traversing a slippery slope that neither one had anticipated. Each one had to keep roping in their feelings like a stray calf at a rodeo. Hillie wanted vengeance; Light wanted carnal satisfaction. Their motivations were that simple and that selfish. He would be coming to her hotel room at eight. After their splendid lunch, he returned to work and she went back to the hotel. Instead of lounging by the pool today, she decided a little shopping would be in order.

* * *

Light did not disappoint her and he arrived promptly at eight. He appeared to be sincerely astonished and pleased when she answered the door in a red silk sleeping kimono with a green and gold dragon on it.

"What's this?" he inquired with an approving smile when she pulled him into the room.

"I thought we might stay in for the night. Relax a little. I don't want to wear you out too much. You're still in your first week at your new job. Dinner should be here soon," Hillie said and she had barely gotten it out of her mouth when there was a knock on the door.

Light opened the door since he was still standing within reach of it. He backed away, pushing her behind him to block her from the view of the male waiter's eyes.

Hillie gladly hid herself behind him when she saw it was the little creeper from the other morning. She held onto Light's crisply ironed crimson red button down shirt. Her eyes roamed down to his nicely shaped rear that was clad in black dress pants. Resisting the urge to reach down and give it a squeeze, she instead twisted her fingers into the silky soft fabric of his shirt. Wow, must be Egyptian cotton. 'What a stupid thing to be thinking right now,' she admonished herself, releasing the fabric and smoothing it down her hands.

"Are you ready to eat or would you rather pet me all night?" he asked, looking at her over his shoulder out of his peripheral vision.

"Mmmm, let me think," she murmured thoughtfully, laughing when he took her hand and pulled her toward the table where the food and wine had been laid out.

"Oh, very nice choice," he complimented when he saw the rare steaks and green salad.

Hillie knew practically every man on earth was a fan of a big slab of meat sitting on a plate. She cut into the barely cooked steak, watching each back and forth slashing movement of the knife with satisfaction as it sliced through the muscle fibers. The blood ran out and gathered beneath the meat in a thin watery pool. She brought the hunk of steak to her mouth, sighing loudly with fulfillment when the flavor flooded her taste buds. Moving her eyes from her plate to his face, she noticed the expression of rapt concentration held there.

"Are you okay?" he asked with a libidinous grin while his dark brown eyes continued to ogle her.

"It's really good. Try it," she encouraged him, wiping her mouth with her napkin. She turned her attention back to her plate because the steak was excellent.

Tonight the big attraction was coming after dinner, not during. When they were done with dinner, they took their wine glasses with them as they moved to the bed. Hillie turned on the television casually flipping channels until she found an old American movie. It was a black and white movie from the 1950s; one of those cliché romance movies where they live happily ever after and when the men kiss the women it looks as if they're hurting them. It was almost comical to watch since it had been voiced over in Japanese. When Light settled in beside her, propped in a half sitting up position against several pillows and the headboard, she snuggled into him and laid her head on his chest.

Light absentmindedly ran his fingers through her long, luxurious hair while blindly staring at the television screen. His vision blurred and his eyes fluttered shut. Forcing them back open, he tried to watch the movie. He knew he had been a little tired from sleep deprivation after being with her so much but he had no idea it was this bad. His eyes closed again, and this time he could not open them back up.

Hillie listened to his beating heart, the rhythm becoming a lullaby to her. She drifted off to sleep minutes after he did.

* * *

Hillie awoke with a start to find herself alone in the bed. She was warm and snuggled into the blanket he had laid over her. Her brain was rapidly running over last night's events. They had dinner and…nothing. She giggled maniacally. She could not help it. All that planning and preparation for nothing. They had both fallen asleep before even getting a kiss! Her morning text message arrived, and she grabbed the phone with anticipation making her belly quiver.

_Had a blast 'sleeping' with you last night. It was the best five hours of my life! I will see you this evening at six._

Hillie smiled broadly holding the phone to her chest. She stared at the ceiling for a while then went back to sleep. She had the feeling she would need all the sleep she could get for tonight.

* * *

When Light arrived at five forty five, Hillie answered the door in nothing but her new sleeping kimono. He was early which had caught her off guard. She was too shocked to speak when he entered without a word, putting down the suitcase he held in his hand before locking both locks on the door. Fear seized her with its icy fingers tracing a path up her spine when he looked at her intensely with an undecipherable emotion in his eyes. Anger? Arousal? Frustration? Murderous intent? What the hell was it?

"Light?" she queried apprehensively.

Light stared at her breathing so heavily his shoulders were moving up and down. He grabbed her and pushed her backwards onto the bed while holding her.

Hillie released a loud grunt when he crashed down on top of her, his front teeth knocking against hers. She tried to scream when his mouth covered hers and his tongue thrust its way through her stubborn lips. She kicked and swung at him in useless attempts to hit him. All she managed to do was pull apart the kimono that had been loosely tied to reveal one of her breasts and her womanhood.

"Hillie," he moaned, moving his mouth from her lips straight to her breast.

"Light!" she screeched when he glued his mouth to the nipple sucking so hard it was almost painful. She groaned and writhed against him as his tongue and lips worked over her nipple until it was red and swollen.

Light sat up, straddling her waist to hold her down. He was very pleasantly surprised when her fingers went to his pants while he unbuttoned his shirt. She ferociously snatched off the belt and flung it away once it was unbuckled. Standing up, he quickly shed his pants while she pulled off the kimono.

"Oh, god, how beautiful," he gasped, staring at her completely naked body.

Hillie was just as enthralled with his body. She had expected a bony little nerd, but he had the body of a gymnast with smooth, supple yet powerful musculature. Her breath caught in her throat when he pushed her down on the bed and practically fell into her. She cried out his name from the unexpected violence of the entrance of her lover. It had hurt a little but the pain gave way to pleasure when he moved his hips and began to grind against her.

"Oh, Light, I want to feel all of you," she begged, yelping when he pulled back to the head and shoved into her hard.

"Hillie, I wanted you the first moment I saw you," he breathed into her ear.

That was a lie. He was disgusted by her like he always had been by most women. The fact that she was an American had only raised his immediate dislike of her. Now here he was happily thrusting into her and making both of them moan with mind numbing pleasure. Life can be strange sometimes.

Hillie opened her eyes to look at him. His eyes were squeezed shut with concentration like he was giving every physical sensation his full attention. She watched him as he pushed into her with a drawn expression of effort and determination on his face. Then when he was fully buried inside of her, his face relaxed and a slight smile tilted his lips. Oh he was gorgeous in the throes of passionate sex and she completely forgot who he was at this time. Right now he was her handsome lover who was driving her crazy with pleasure – nothing more and nothing less. Her hands glided over his light golden skin exploring his chest, arms, and back while he arched above her and continued to shove into her to bring her ecstasy she never thought possible.

Light was releasing enormous amounts of pent up frustration and sexual tension with each thrust into her willing, wanting body. He knew he would want her again. He would take her as many times as she allowed him to before she left him forever. The tightening began between his legs and he could feel it drawing close, getting ready to burst forth.

"Light!" Hillie yelled, digging her fingernails into his firm butt cheeks.

Light groaned long and loud then ejected into her, releasing deep inside her with each spastic thrust of his hips while the pleasure overtook him again and again. She could actually feel him unleashing his essence deep inside of her. Unfortunately, she still wanted more. She had yet to be satisfied. He seemed to know this and began placing tender kisses on her face while his hands covered her breasts. Kissing her and touching her exquisite breasts would be a great way to spend the time it would take for him to recover. It would also help speed the process along. Within minutes he was twitching and growing hard inside of her. Soon he was ready to go again and commenced to mercilessly pound her into the mattress until she was screaming his name. This cycle of sex continued all night long until their bodies were sore and exhausted.

Hillie stared out of the window at the gray light of dawn as Light's breath blew across her back in rhythmic puffs while he slept the deep refreshing sleep of the completely sexually satisfied. She had found herself cuddled in his arms and held tightly with her back against his chest after their long, furious sex session. Unable to extract herself from his secure and unbreakable embrace, she gazed sleeplessly out of the window at the coming day. Her brain was too busy working, planning, thinking. Alarm bells were going off so stridently and harshly within her brain she would swear she could actually hear them. They were warning her to stay on track; don't get distracted; and don't – DON'T, above all things, fall in love with her brother's killer.


	5. Let It Begin

Let it Begin

Hillie awoke to soft, tender kisses being dropped all over her face and lips. She groaned when he proceeded to make his way down her neck. Her breath was coming in forceful ragged gasps by the time his lips touched her breast.

"Light," she moaned, holding his head in her hands when his lips enclosed her rigid, aroused nipple. Raising her hips toward him, she beckoned him to take her so he did. This time the pace of sex was much slower and not quite so frantic and desperate.

"Are you ready to get a shower and go to the Ropeway and Herb Garden? I want to take you," Light said, getting out of the bed.

"Want some company?" she inquired as he walked into the bathroom for a shower.

"Sure. We'll be a little bit later leaving though," he warned her, poking his head back out of the door.

Damn. What an animal. "Are we on a time schedule?" she asked, almost giggling when Mr. Punctuality and Plans was quiet for a long moment trying to decide which he wanted more: sex or being on time. Decisions, decisions. He was so not normal.

"No. Not really. Come in here," he ordered playfully and she happily obliged.

Hillie thought it would be better to get their sexual desires taken care of before they leave as not to cause an indecent scene in public. She was astonished by his stamina and prowess, wondering just how long it had been since he had sex before her. He had an astounding amount of sexual frustration built up inside of him. Possibly he needed the release after being dormant as Kira so long. She was sure he had used his special killing ability not only as a major power trip but also a source of immense satisfaction, including sexual. As far as she knew, the only girlfriend he had in years was Misa and not much had gone on there to Misa's great disappointment. Whatever it was, she was certainly reaping the benefits in great sex.

An hour later they were on a train on their way to Kobe. Light kept her held tightly against him; protecting her was good excuse to hold her so close. He pulled her to his side when they were sitting in the small glassed in cable car of the aerial lift rising above the city and enjoying a fantastic view.

Hillie was interested in everything he had to say as he pointed out historic buildings and monuments while they glided along the wire over the city. It was a short but fun ride, only taking about ten minutes. After a scenic hike from the top, they made their way into the gardens. It was kind of nice having her own private nerd with her as he led her through the fantastic gardens and told her anything about everything and was able to answer all of questions. They smelled, touched, and even tasted everything that they were allowed to in the garden. There were also many beautiful flowers to regale the senses. After their fabulous multi-sensory excursion, they had lunch in the café before boarding the train back to go back to the hotel.

Hillie wanted him to stay, but she knew she should tell him to go. She could feel her resolve crumbling and she needed time away from him; time to think and refocus. Her efforts had gone off track along with her emotions. When they entered the room, he immediately had his hands on her again. Giving in to the base animal desire he stirred up within her, she was lavished with pleasure and devastated with ecstasy by her relentless lover. Afterwards, she fell asleep in his arms from exhaustion due to lack of sleep and his vigorous carnal escapades. Hours later when she woke up, Light was gone. The note beside the bed informed her that he had gone home for just a little while and that he would return to her. She decided it was time to advance with her plan. Things were getting too deep; she was thinking and feeling things she should not.

Laying her suitcase on the bed, Hillie pulled out the false bottom to reveal her stash of items collected for this event. Vials of tranquilizers and paralytics, syringes, knives, and a collection of items that would make a dominatrix envious: leather gags and eye masks, straps for tying him up, shackles and chains, whips, and various other items she could use should her sadomasochistic side come out to play. A wicked little smile lit up her face; Light Yagami would probably enjoy that.

* * *

Hillie was sitting at the table going through her brother's files as well as the information she had collected herself. She was waiting for Light's return. Her 'props' had been placed in strategic areas of the room so they would be at her disposal as she needed them or saw fit to use them. She had showered and changed into a matching black bra and panty set wearing the kimono draped over her arms like a robe. Now she was lying in wait like a spider, ready to spring her trap on her unsuspecting but very deserving victim. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at her brother's Bureau identification photo. She doubted Light even knew what her brother looked like which worked in her favor since they looked so much alike. Well, they had looked so much alike. Her brother was dead, therefore Light Yagami must die. Pushing the sadness and tears aside, she walked around the room rechecking her preparations. Fury replaced the sorrow, giving her the motivation she would require to go through with her plan.

There was a knock on the door and Hillie started, feeling her heart slamming against her breastbone so violently she thought it might break it. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves. Raising her head and straightening her shoulders, she went to the door. She opened it to see the very handsome Light Yagami standing there with a dozen roses and a big heart shaped box of chocolates. Was he serious? She never would have guessed he could be so cliché. What the hell was this?

"Something beautiful for my gorgeous woman," Light said, his voice deep and smooth. He pushed her back into the room as he was pushing the roses into her hands. "Something sweet to let her know how wonderful I think she tastes."

"Light," Hillie murmured, taking the flowers and candy and setting them on the dresser. She slid her arms around his neck pressing her mouth to his.

"For me?" he asked, pushing her back a little so he could look her over.

"Yes," she answered, pulling him with her to the bed. She allowed the kimono to drift to the floor before she lay down on the bed and waited for him.

"I want you," he whispered in her ear, lying down on top of her.

Hillie sighed when he kissed her. Her hand slid under the pillow, gripping the syringe hidden there filled with a tranquilizer. She moaned when his tongue slid into her mouth and his hands slid up her body, over her breasts, and to her neck. His long fingers loosely wrapped around her neck and his thumbs stroked her throat.

"You're so lovely," he stated in a low voice made slightly hoarse with desire. "I want you. Forever."

"What are you saying?" she inquired apprehensively, searching his brown eyes for the implication of his words. Her lips trembled slightly while he gazed at her amorously. Oh, god. He couldn't.

"I love you," he said, tightening his fingers slightly. "I've never loved anyone. How could you do this to me?"

"I-I'm s-sorry," she apologized, swinging up the syringe and stabbing him in the neck with it. She clenched her teeth as he cried out in pain and surprise and tightened his grip on her neck. Pushing down the plunger, she released the chemicals into his body hoping it put him out before he choked her to death.

"You bitch! How could you do this?" Light demanded, his eyes wild with fury and pain.

"You killed my brother," Hillie gasped out after he relaxed his grip for her to answer. She cried out , making a strange squeaking hiss like air leaking from a balloon, when he tightened his fingers around her throat again. How long does it take for this crap to work? It felt as if he were crushing her trachea with his thumbs, and she could no longer get any air at all.

"What? Who was your brother?" He slackened his hold on her throat. His eyes were becoming unfocused, and he shook his head as if to clear it. It was working.

"He was one of the American FBI agents you killed."

"But that was years ago." He was seeing two of everything and felt incredibly sleepy. Straddling her waist, he rubbed his eyes and shook his head again. 'What the hell did she do to me?' he wondered, snatching the syringe out of his neck and throwing it across the room.

"Yeah. But he's still dead. I hate you Light Yagami. Now you're going to die," she threatened him, pushing him over onto the bed.

Light could not fight her. He stared the woman who had captured his heart through bleary eyes as the tranquilizer increased its effect. He should have known this would happen. The one time he gives in and becomes human, he loses his throne in heaven. He would kill her for this. There would be no notebook used for her death. She would not go peacefully or easily. He would make her suffer by his own hands. Everything went black before he could begin plotting her death.

* * *

Hillie was sitting at the table reading through Misa's last diary entry. Misa's manager had found her diary and published it as a memoir after her death. Most people did not understand what half of the entries meant but it had made the man millions, capitalizing on the poor dead girl's tragedy. It was sickening really. She had already reread the NPA report from the incident that caused his father's death and her brother's autopsy report. 'How many people had this man really killed?' she wondered as she stared at him. She was fueling her hate, her anger; she had to stoke the fires to be able to follow through with her revenge. A sadistic little smile curled her lips as she looked at the naked, unconscious man she had tied to the bed. She had tied him with his arms outstretched to the headboard. His feet were shackled together and tied to the base of the bed at the end. He was quite an aesthetically pleasing sight, despite being a heartless murderous beast.

Hillie straddled his hips, leaning over until her lips hovered above his. She slid her hands over his smooth bare chest, smiling joylessly when he writhed and groaned under her touch. Her lips brushed across his while her hands moved lower.

"Light," she whispered, her lips brushing his ear. She kissed his neck feeling the goose bumps that had popped up when she tickled his ear.

"Damn you, Hillie," he muttered groggily. He moaned her name again when she grabbed his half erect member.

"Oh, Light, you're the best lover I've ever had. I almost fell for you," she murmured, licking his neck. She shivered when he inhaled so forcefully it made a hissing sound through his teeth. At that moment she knew she owned his ass.

"Almost?" he queried, opening his eyes that he was still having trouble focusing.

"Almost," she repeated, pressing her lips to his. She screamed and jerked away when his teeth sank into her lip. Her hand came across his face hard and quick while blood filled her mouth. "You hateful bastard!"

Light spat the blood from his mouth across her belly. His eyes stared at the fine mist of red across her flat stomach. He wished his hands were free so he could run his fingers through it and spread the divine crimson color across her ivory skin. She looked good covered in her own blood. His member immediately hardened beneath her from the sight of a few of the bigger drops of red trickling down her belly. His eyes moved to hers that were staring down at him.

"I will kill you," he threatened her, grinning menacingly at her with her blood showing on his teeth.

"You first asshole," she growled through her clenched teeth as a red ribbon of blood trickled from the side of her mouth. Her hips rocked to move her womanhood against him and kept moving until she brought a moan from his lips.

"Fuck you," he groaned, when she reached down with her hand to stroke him. He glared at her hatefully as she dismounted his hips and stood beside the bed.

"Is that a request?"

Without waiting for an answer, Hillie slid her underwear down her legs slowly, ever so slowly, as his angry yet lustful eyes drank in the sight. He was going to be a lot of fun. She took off her bra, pulling it taught and releasing it to snap like a rubber band against the tender skin of his inner thigh. Her lips curled with a mirthless, mean smile when he yelped in pain and a red mark began to appear on the creamy delicate skin.

Light was aroused and wanted her; he could not help it. He hated her with an exceptional kind of ire he had not felt for anyone yet. She had made him lose control of his sensibilities like no one ever had and he loathed her for it. His love for her had been rejected and met with her own animosity and vengeance in return. He reviled her for that. A loud moan escaped him when she lowered herself onto him. How could he still want her?

Hillie used him like a human sex toy for her own gratification, however, she was sure he was not suffering much from all of the noises of pleasure coming from him. Before he could experience a climax, she got off of him and stood beside the bed.

"What are you doing?" Light asked in a panic, a painful ache coursing through his body that originated from between his legs. The full, heavy feeling between his thighs became a distinct painful throb that sent arcs of pain rushing through his body. He wanted – no, needed – that release. Gritting his teeth against the agony and discomfort of the unrealized ejaculation, he scowled at her with unbound abhorrence.

"What's wrong, baby?" she questioned him, running her fingers through his hair. Her eyes softened a bit as she looked down at the man in obvious physical torture. "Beg me and I'll help you."

Light closed his eyes, the tightness and pulsating ache from his engorged male organs reached up to his belly and make his abdominal muscles clench. He could feel his pride screaming not to give in but that was drowned out by the pain overtaking him. Opening his eyes to look at her, he begged first with a look, then with words.

"Please, Hillie, please help me," he pled with her, sweat glazing his upper lip and forehead. This freaking hurt! He suddenly remembered why he swore off sex to begin with; it is more trouble than it is worth and so are women.

Hillie grasped his hard and swollen member, stroking it roughly. Her eyes watched his face when he closed his eyes tightly and bit his lower lip to hold back the sounds of pleasure and relief as she brought him off.

"Hillie," Light moaned, thrusting himself at her hand. Damn her. It felt good. He felt the scratchy fabric of a towel cover him as he started spurting from the much needed climax.

"There, sweetheart," she cooed, kissing his sweaty face as he panted to catch his breath. "Feel better?"

"Bitch," he ground out between his teeth. He howled in pain when she squeezed his manhood with a cruel grip.

"Next time you might want to rethink being rude to woman who holds your life and your private parts in her hand."


	6. Humanizing the god

Humanizing the god

Hillie awoke with a start. She looked at her captive to see that not only was he still securely tied to the bed, he was still asleep. Taking the file out of her lap and setting it on the table, she stood up to stretch her sore muscles. She had accidentally fallen asleep while reading over more documents from her mountain of information. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she decided to take a shower. A long day of torture lay ahead of her. She really should have gotten more sleep last night.

After her shower, Hillie dressed in a plain black tank top and her underwear. There was no need for a whole lot of clothes. She picked up a syringe and a vial, filling it carefully while Light stirred and groaned on the bed.

"Good morning, sweetheart," she said cheerily, tapping the syringe to make sure there were no air bubbles.

"Bitch," he growled through his clenched teeth.

"Oh, Light," she whined, pretending to pout. "You hurt my feelings."

"I'll hurt a lot more than your feelings when I get loose from here," he threatened her, scrutinizing her with hate and death in his eyes.

Hillie casually walked to the bed wearing a sinister grin on her face. She should probably not be enjoying this so much. Mounting his naked body, her hand slid over his chest while she stared down at him with a voracious look in her eyes. She was hungry for his blood; not to drink it, but to shed it and cause him limitless pain as she did it.

"You really should learn how to relax," she stated in a low pitched, ominous voice. She slowly sank the needle into his pectoral muscle, smiling like a demented doctor as he stifled his yells of pain into loud growling and snarling sounds.

"I just woke up! Why are you putting me back to sleep?" he asked, wincing as it felt like pure fire was flowing through his veins. "What the hell was that?"

"I'm not you putting you out. I'll be keeping you still," she explained, standing up and walking over to her sick and twisted toy chest. Picking up what looked like nothing but the handle of a knife, she touched a button and out popped the doubled edged, excessively sharp blade. She straddled his hips once again, laying the blade against his neck.

Light could not move or react in anyway. He could see her looming above him with that frightening smile on her face. He could feel the cold blade against his neck. The blood began to trickle down his neck in a ticklish stream from the knife cutting into his skin. Oh, dear god. She had given him a paralyzing drug. He was fully aware of everything, especially the pain.

"Light, my special love, I want you awake for this," she said, raising the knife from his neck to move it down to his chest. "I plan to give you a cut for every person you murdered with your precious notebook." The sliced across his pectoral, neatly and cleanly opening a one inch cut. "I will make you bleed for each victim. That was for Raye Penber. I'll be starting with the FBI agents." She named off each one, making a nick in his skin as she called out the first and last names. Saving her brother for last, she made a big X over Light's heart. "That's two for my brother. When you killed him, you killed something inside of me. Without knowing it, you murdered two people that day."

Hillie had read the lists so many times she had memorized them. When Light fainted from the pain and loss of blood, she slapped him forcefully and mercilessly. It took three slaps before he regained consciousness. By the way his eyes whirled around in his head she knew he could not take much more. 'Vengeance for just a few more victims,' she told herself. It was too early in this game for her to kill him. She liked her playmate. Retaliation for ten more victims was found before he lost consciousness again. He looked as if he had been given a series of tribal markings across his pectorals and down his abdomen. She purposely formed them into a heart. The only incongruous mark was the big X over his heart for her brother.

"He's had enough, Hillie," she told herself. She knew her sanity had become horribly fractured. At this point, she did not care.

This time Hillie gave herself a shot. She held the epinephrine injector to her neck and hit the button. There was already so much adrenaline flowing through her system she did not feel it. Her hand flew to her chest when her heart began beating so hard and fast it hurt. At this moment she felt like she could run two marathons back to back or swim home to the United States, she untied Light and dragged him to the bathroom. Hefting him over into the tub, she turned on the water. She didn't care if it was hot or cold. He could not move even if he woke up. The blood ran down his body in a crimson flood and flowed into the drain. While his wounds were being washed clean, she had other matters to attend to and quickly.

After removing the straps and shackles from the bed, Hillie hid her suitcase in the closet and called housekeeping. She claimed she needed her sheets changed because her monthly time had unexpectedly arrived. A hundred dollar (about 8,000 yen) tip should quiet any questions or misgivings the housekeeper might have. She also ordered room service. Light would need sustenance; he would be terribly weak after his recent ordeal. She did not want him to die – yet.

Hillie stayed in the bathroom tending to Light's cuts while apologizing profusely in Japanese to the housekeeper while she changed the sheets. When room service arrived, it was the pervie employee so he was too distracted by her state of undress to question why she ordered enough food for two people yet she was by herself. After getting rid of him with a good show of her breasts and behind, she pulled Light out of the bathroom and back to the bed. Once he was secured to the headboard in a sitting up position and with the shackles back on his ankles, she was able to relax a bit. The adrenaline had worked through her system and she felt exhausted and hungry. She turned on the television and began to eat her steak and lobster. She deserved a treat for all of her laborious efforts. Revenge was difficult, tiring work.

"Is there any reason you choose to keep me naked?" Light asked in a weak, slurred voice.

"You wish," Hillie snorted derisively, throwing her napkin on top of her decimated plate. "Are you hungry?"

"How am I supposed to eat?" he inquired, pulling on the straps that bound his wrists.

"I'll feed you," she said, sitting down beside him with a bowl of soup in her hands.

"Are you fucking kidding?" he demanded, jerking on the straps harder in a futile attempt to loose himself. "How do I know it's not poisoned?"

"Why would I do that after keeping you from bleeding out? I want you here with me," she stated in a breathy, fragile sounding voice. "Are you hungry or not? It's your choice."

Light eyed the spoon warily and looked at her face. For the first time in over twenty four hours she looked normal. Her reddish brown eyes were kind and caring again. Despite what she had done, she appeared to be his sweet, innocent Hillie once more with the freckles dotting her nose and cheeks enhancing her guileless appearance. He smiled. He had found someone who was that special kind of demented freak just like him. Willingly opening his mouth for her, he greedily gulped down the warm chicken noodle soup. He was famished. Next came the rare steak to sate his hunger and give him the iron he needed to help him compensate for his blood loss.

"Hillie, what are you going to do with me?" he asked, carefully watching her as she lovingly wiped his mouth.

"I'm going to kill you Light," she answered matter of factly, standing up with the empty plate to put it back on the tray. She grabbed the two plates of strawberry shortcake and returned to the bed. Pulling her finger through the dollop of whipped cream, she heaped it on her finger then brought it to his mouth.

Light eagerly opened his mouth, closing his lips around her finger. He sucked off the sweet, creamy substance, savoring the taste and the feel of her finger against his tongue. Opening his eyes to look at her, he could see the desire in her eyes.

"Light," Hillie murmured, running her fingers through his hair. Whether he did it on purpose or not, he was arousing her. This man drove her crazy! As much as she wanted to retaliate for her brother's death, she considered halting her plan. She had not lied when she said she wanted him here with her. But she could only keep him for a short time. He deserved to die for what he had done. Her eyes landed on the X she had made over his heart. Placing her hand against her own chest, she then put her hand over the X. X marks the spot for where his ruthless heart beat and where he wounded her the most.

"Hillie, I'm sorry," he said suddenly, startling himself as much as her with the unanticipated apology.

"What?" Hillie was so stunned by the two small words from him she honestly did not comprehend them.

"I really am sorry." He wanted to touch her so badly, but he could not.

"Would it have made a difference?" she questioned him, rising from the bed. "You killed a lot of bad men, yes. But you also killed good, innocent men. Men with families. Men who were sons, brothers, husbands, fathers. Men who were loved. Why should you receive mercy and love after what you did to them?"

"Hillie…" Words failed him. For once in his life he could not find the right words to make it _seem_ all right, to justify his actions to himself or to her. What the hell had she done to him?

"I took a god and made him human. You're one of us now. How does it feel, Light? How does it feel to know you're just human after all?" She reached out to touch his cheek, meeting his fiery gaze.

"It feels terrible. I hate it. I hate you," he answered, his anger returning full force. She had stolen something from him. She had taken away his precious sense of control thereby destroying his ridiculous façade of perfection and semblance of godhood. She had indeed made him human. "I will kill you."

"Just try," she countered, backhanding him so viciously his head snapped back against the headboard and he actually saw stars.

Light unleashed a deep, rumbling primal yell. His face contorted into a mask of fury and animosity that removed any handsomeness from his features. He strained against his bindings, his muscles flexing and bulging. A vein raised the surface of his skin and snaked its way across his sweaty forehead.

Hillie hurried to her treasure trove of drugs and began pulling up a clear fluid into a syringe. She heard the wood of the headboard crack and groan as it started giving under the incredible pressure he was exerting on it. Jumping on the bed, she drove the needle into his bicep making him cry out from the sting of it in his unyielding muscle.

"Hillie, dammit!" he cried out, turning his eyes to hers. He leaned forward, pressing his forehead against her chest.

Was he sobbing? Hillie reached up to hold his head when his body shuddered and he pushed harder against her like he was trying to become part of her. His rationality had been tenuous for years and there was no telling how splintered his personality actually was. Was he being sincere or was he playing with her emotions? She would never know for sure. Holding him and rocking him slightly as if to comfort him, her own tears streamed down her face. She held him tighter, pulling him against her when his body relaxed and loosened from the tranquilizer she had given him.

"I loved you," Light murmured faintly, feeling dizzy and sleepy.

"I know," Hillie responded, carefully leaning him back against the headboard. She bit her lower lip to hold back a sob when his head lolled lifelessly to the side. She wanted to love him. She would have loved him under different circumstances. But sometimes, no matter how much you want something, you can never, ever have it.


	7. Love is Crazy and so are They

Love is Crazy and so are They

Hillie stared at Light. She could not help but think how completely defenseless he looked tied to the bed completely naked. She had put the mask on him along with a pair of earphones blasting deafening, brain decimating hard rock music. When she would see him begin to drift off to sleep, she would hit him with the whip to wake him up. Angry red slashes had been torn into his pale skin by the persistent use of the leather whip and covered his arms and legs. She had avoided hitting his torso because of the lacerations representing each victim marring his once perfect skin. Her purpose for the sleep deprivation was to cause him to lose all sense of time and place and eventually himself. She would have him so disoriented and confused he would barely remember his name. For once in his life he would learn what is like to have his life in the hands of a cruel, unforgiving taskmaster. However, her brutality and her determination were wavering. She saw a tear trickle from below the mask and slide across his temple before he turned to wipe it away on the sheet. It had been over twenty four hours. She believed he had suffered enough.

Hillie went to him pulling off the mask. The fear she saw in his eyes shocked her. She had never expected to see terror firmly implanted in wide brown eyes; she honestly thought he was incapable of experiencing it. She moved to touch him and he started, then tried to pull away put he could not because of his bindings. Instead, he closed his eyes, which caused a few more tears to fall, and turned his head away from her. Placing her hand over his heart, she felt it beating frantically. Her fingers traced the raised, crusty scab covering the X. Her eyes rested on his ghostly pale face while her fingertips slowly slid up his chest and neck to rest on his cheek. By the time her fingertips rested on his face, he was trembling so fiercely the bed shook beneath her.

How had she broken him so easily? Maybe he had overestimated himself. It was possible he was not as heartless and strong willed as he thought; at least where it concerned himself and not others. He had certainly astonished and disappointed her. There was a distinct stabbing pain in her heart. Clutching her chest over her heart, she started massaging it to make the lingering ache go away.

"Light," Hillie whispered his name yet he jumped as if a bomb had gone off beside him.

"I'm sorry," he apologized again, opening his eyes to look at her.

Hillie pitched forward as if she had been shot in the back while continuing to rub over her heart. Game over. Enough was enough. The emotional injury had reached an apex, and she could not take it anymore. She untied him and removed the shackles while he stared at her blankly like he did not quite comprehend what was going on. Pulling him into her arms like a mother does a small, hurting child, she wrapped the blanket beneath them around his shivering body when he curled himself around her. It was so pathetic in a genuinely heart breaking way. She had reduced the once virile, over confident , god-like Light Yagami into a quivering terrified mess.

"I'm sorry too, Light," she said, pulling his head up to kiss his tears away. She licked the salty fluid from her lips, continuing to kiss his face until his tears ceased falling.

"Hillie," he moaned, turning his lips up to her.

Hillie pressed her lips to his feeling the dry, chapped skin of his once luscious lips scraping against hers. She pulled back, tracing his lips with her finger. She pulled out of his grip and went to her bag to retrieve a tube of lip balm. It was a stupid thing really, but she was comforting herself by tending to him even for such a ridiculously small thing.

"Are you hungry? I'll order something for us," she told him while applying the soothing product to his cracked lips.

"Yes, please," he responded, watching her carefully as she moved to sit beside him against the headboard. He placed his head in her lap and she distractedly stroked his head like he was her favorite pet which he could very well be classified as such at this time.

Hillie ordered soups, salads, fruit, and bread; things that she hoped would be the most nutritious and help him gain his strength back. She requested they leave the cart at the door because she had a very sick friend in the room who did not need to be disturbed. Looking down at him, she realized she had already disturbed him enough.

It was agonizing to watch him eat; it reminded her of how babies that are just learning to feed themselves look when eating. His movements were shaky and clumsy. She immediately lost her appetite and shoved her food toward him. Lying down on the bed, she closed her eyes to wait for him. She had begun drifting off to sleep when he came to the bed and lay beside her. Rolling over toward him, she kissed him and brushed her fingertips down his arm that went around her waist to hold her close.

"Feel better?" she asked, kissing him again.

"Yes, very much," Light answered, laying his hand over her breast. "There's something else I want from you."

"Take it," she ordered, closing her eyes when he pressed his lips to hers. She shifted onto her back, raising her hips for him to remove her panties. Once again she had chosen to wear nothing but a t-shirt and panties.

Light pushed up the shirt, latching on to her breast like a hungry newborn while he slowly worked his member into her. He moaned with contentment and ecstasy from being inside of her. He not only wanted her, now he needed her. His very survival, especially his mental and emotional existence, depended on her.

Hillie had killed him in a way that had been completely unforeseen. She had broken him like a horse trainer tames a wild stallion. She had totally destroyed his spirit and every illusion he had ever built up about himself in his head. Crying out his name from the pleasure he was giving her, the thought occurred to her that she would not have to kill him physically after all. She did not want to either.

"Light, I love you!" she exclaimed, thrusting her hips up at him.

Light grunted like an animal and dug his fingers into her hips. He smiled inhumanly when she yelped from the pain. He was not so far gone that he did not have the ability to reciprocate some of the pain she had caused him. His hands slid up her body, his fingernails dragging across her skin, even cutting it places. Each time his fingernail would snag her delicate skin and cause a scratch she would writhe beneath him and whine his name. He pinched her nipples mercilessly again and again, bringing cries of pain from her lips.

"Light, please stop," she begged, hissing from the stinging sensation that burned a path through her entire breast when he pinched her again.

Light continued until her nipples were swollen, red, and numb from the excruciating soreness. He sat up on his knees, positioning himself so he thrust into her hard and deep, abusing her tender womb with each forceful push. His malicious grin grew wider and more sincere in its spite with each yowl that passed her lips.

Hillie wanted him to stop. It hurt terribly, but then again, that was the whole crux of the matter - to cause her pain. She shrieked his name when he moved to lay down on top of her, pinning her body completely under his while he ruthlessly hammered into her. Her fingernails dug into his back from both the pain and the pleasure he was giving her. She felt his fingers sliding around her neck and prepared herself for what came next. Taking a deep breath, she felt his long, powerful fingers flex and squeeze, instantly cutting off her air supply. At first she was calm, her body still being wracked with pleasurable pain from his insistent, vigorous movements inside of her. When her lungs began to ache for their lack of oxygen, she covered his hands with hers, carefully pulling at the fingers securely enclosing her throat. As her lungs burned and her vision blurred, she thrashed beneath him while pulling at his fingers when survival instinct kicked in.

"I love you, Hilliard Dayton. I want you to be mine forever. In this world or the next," he whispered in her ear malevolently, tightening his grip so vehemently he threatened to crush her windpipe as he attempted to choke the life out of her.

Hillie stopped clawing at his hands from the weakness that settled over her. Her eyes were on Light's that had sparked back to life as her vision blackened at the edges and the darkness slowly closed in. She lost consciousness just as he yelled her name when he climaxed.

* * *

Hillie did not know if it was minutes, hours, or days later when she awoke. What she did know beyond the shadow of a doubt was that she was alive. She was also laying her belly and being screwed hard by Light Yagami. Forcing herself up on her hands and knees, she threw him off like a rebellious horse throws its rider. She was swiftly pushed back down with her face being smashed into the mattress by his hand on the back of her head. Despite her struggling against him, the determined rider remounted his prized mare and went for it. Her movements ceased and she tranquilly acquiesced to his will. Turning her head to the side when he loosened his hold, she drew in much needed gulps of air.

What the hell was she supposed to now? This was an unexpected turn of events. Light had been freed and could have left. He could have even killed her but he had chosen not to. It was quite possible he planned to screw her to death. What a way to go. That would make for an interesting cause of death on the death certificate.

Hillie sighed noisily with relief when he grunted and discharged his sexual frustration and more. Her body was sore, beaten, and bruised from the inside out. How long had she been unconscious? She looked at the man who flopped onto the bed beside her, laying his arm over his eyes as if he could not bear to look at the ceiling.

"What now Light Yagami? You're always the man with the plan. Where do we go from here?" she asked, receiving a shocking answer.

"My house. I want you to live with me. I want you to be my wife," he said, turning his head to look at her.

Hillie's eyes met his and she could see that he was sincere in what he had said. "Are you crazy?"

"That's a rhetorical question right?" he shot back sarcastically. His personality certainly gave the impression of being intact. "Think about it. What else can we do? We're both too messed up and sick to be unleashed on anyone else. Why kill each other or ourselves when we might be able to find something akin to happiness together?"

"Do you really think so? Do you think it's possible? How can I be with you after what you did? You murdered my bro –" She was interrupted with a pair of lips being pressed to hers.

"I know, sweetheart. I'm sorry. If I could change it, I would," he told her, giving her another quick peck on the lips.

"You really mean that don't you?" She reached out to push away the long bangs that had obscured his eyes. She wanted to look into them some more and see for herself.

"What do you think?"

"I don't know. Nothing makes sense. I'm confused."

"Me too. How can I still love you after what you've done to me?"

"The same way I can love the man who devastated me and took something very important from me that he can't give back." She chuckled lightly, a hollow, mirthless sound that assaulted her ears. "We really are demented aren't we?"

"Completely," he responded, pushing her unruly lock of hair behind her ear.

Hillie smiled at him, reaching out to touch his lips. Bizarre, warped, perverse, irrational; there was a limitless number of adjectives to describe their affection for each other. In the end it remained the same. They were two hopeless, psychotics in love despite the circumstances surrounding their relationship.


	8. The Beginning of Something Weird

The Beginning of Something…Weird

"Aren't you going to fly home and get the rest of your stuff?" Light asked as helped her with her suitcases.

"No," Hillie answered plainly, staring at the lovely house that was situated at the end of the cul-de-sac. She did not realize neighborhoods like this existed in Japan. It reminded her of the subdivisions at home. The houses were close enough the neighbors could open a window and talk to each other without even raising their voices.

Light's home was a plain beige two story house trimmed in dark brown. The house and the yard were neat and tidy in appearance just like its always flawless and impeccable owner. The inside was decorated sparsely and meticulously arranged where everything remained in straight, clean lines giving it an extremely well-ordered, immaculate look. All of the furniture and even the decorations were traditional and square in beige, brown, or black. It was all so incredibly perfect – and boring.

"Are you going to call your parents and tell them that you are not returning home?" he inquired, hauling in her three heavy suitcases.

"No." She gave a pointed, one word answer just like the first time with no further explanation or details. Her father would immediately send an assassin to kill her and Light both if he knew what was going on. She would have to call them soon to tell them she would be staying in Japan indefinitely before they tracked her down. It had always been a major inconvenience as a teenager having parents in the FBI. Once again, it could prove to be troublesome for her.

Light put his hands on his hips, observing her as she walked around the house looking at everything yet touching nothing like she was in a museum. He caught her in a firm embrace at the bottom of the stairs before she walked up.

"Honey, relax. This is your home now too," he said, pulling her against him to kiss her.

"Light, are you sure about this? About me?" she asked apprehensively, sliding her arms around his neck.

"I've never been more sure about anything in my life," he told her, kissing her again. "You already know that confidence in myself and my decisions is something I've never had a problem with."

"That's for sure," she responded, hugging him tightly. "I love you."

"I love you too," he rejoined, pushing her back slightly to look at her. "Hey, how about a tour of the bedroom? More specifically the bed."

"Oh, Light," she giggled, pulling away and running up the stairs. She stopped at the top, wondering which way to go. She shrieked when he bent down and hefted her over his shoulder.

"You're mine woman!" he exclaimed, slapping her on the behind. His chuckle blended with hers as he took her to his bedroom at the end of the hall.

Hillie shouted his name when he tossed her onto the bed. They proceeded to tickle and tease and laugh their way through sex. For the first time ever, they genuinely relaxed and had fun with each other in the bedroom. They had shared plenty of good times and romantic moments out of the bedroom so they had decided to bring their sense of humor and fun to bed with them for a change. Too much hate and anger had been expressed between them with sex so it was time to take a different approach. Light made love to her, exciting her emotions as well as her body, driving her to tears with the touching physical expression of his sentiments toward her.

"Hillie, I want to marry you. I want you to be mine forever," he panted against her neck after they had shared a fabulously breathtaking simultaneous orgasm. It was yet another wonderful first shared between them.

"Ask when the afterglow is over and you have a ring," she joked with him, poking him in the ribs. She rolled him off of her so she could breathe easier.

"I mean it," he said, sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed.

"I know. Where are you going?" she asked, watching him stand up and walk to his desk.

"There's something I want to show you." Light opened the top drawer and pulled out the thin black notebook he kept hidden there.

"Is that what I think it is?" Hillie sat up, pulling the blanket beneath her around her body. She shivered with fright and cold as he crossed the room with the book held out to her.

"Touch it. Don't be afraid by what you see," he told her.

"What?" Her fingers touched the book and a tall, thin, and generally disturbing creature that looked like a maniacal clown with black spiked hair appeared behind him. She leapt off the bed, staring with huge, terrified brown eyes.

"He won't hurt you. He's a Shinigami," Light explained, holding her hand and leading her toward Ryuk. He could feel her trembling.

_Shinigami._ Hillie remembered seeing that term numerous times throughout the NPA reports and Misa's diary but had no idea what it meant other than the dictionary definition of death god. She assumed that was something like the grim reaper: a mystical entity who took the lives and souls of humans by any other name was still the same.

Light watched her carefully when she pulled away from him and moved toward the sinister death god. His mouth dropped open to leave him gaping with wide eyed disbelief when she put her hand on the chest of the unsettling figure that would have scared most people out of their minds and sent them screaming from the room.

"Fascinating!" she exclaimed, reaching up to touch the feathers at the top of his shirt. In her shock and curiosity, she dropped the blanket so she could touch the Shinigami with both hands.

"His name is Ryuk," Light mumbled, startled by her unexpected reaction of inquisitiveness after the terror diminished.

"Ryuk," Hillie mumbled, fingering the crudely arranged silver rings that pierced through Ryuk's grayish skin and attached his shirt to his chest.

"Oooh, Light! I see why you like her so much," Ryuk laughed as he ogled the human woman standing in front of him naked.

"I had no idea Shinigami's could be perverts," he shot back, observing the death god carefully as he reached down to run his fingers through Hillie's long brown hair.

"We can look and touch, but we can't have sex with humans. Some humans can definitely be more interesting than others." Ryuk's huge red eyes with the yellow sclera greedily took in the sight of her breasts. He wondered what they would feel like and reached for them. His curiosity was as insatiable as hers.

"Do you really think you should touch those?" Light asked him, making the Shinigami think twice before he made contact with her skin. "I'd be careful with her. She can make you fall in love with her. I never thought it would happen to me. Don't forget what happens to Shinigamis who fall in love with humans."

Hillie was steadily exploring the Shinigami, touching all over him and not bothering with propriety. She grabbed the big buckle on the belt he was wearing and pulled. Her fingers traced the intricate design on the big metal buckle while the equally inquisitive Ryuk stared at her and gingerly traced the contours of her face with a long talon like fingernail.

"Hey, Light! Your woman here is really something else. She's not like other human women is she?" he asked, seizing her hands when they dared to drift below his belt. "She's an aggressive one isn't she?"

"You have no idea, Ryuk," Light mumbled in answer to both of his questions. He was both disappointed and angry by her unusual reaction; she should have cowered in his arms while she stared in horror at the death god. Not only was she not upset by Ryuk, her driving curiosity made her forget appropriateness entirely. Did she ever have a 'normal' reaction to anything? Of course, he had to keep in mind who he was talking about. She was his psychopathic soulmate so there was nothing 'normal' about her.

"What are your plans for this one?" Ryuk asked, putting his large hands on her shoulders to pull her closer to allow her to continue inquiringly pawing him from the neck up. He was not sure which he enjoyed more: getting petted by the pretty woman or the evident jealousy on Light's face.

"This one is going to be his wife," she answered for herself, reaching up to examine the earring dangling from his left ear. "A heart! Awww, Ryuk that's so sweet. I'd give you my heart if it didn't already belong to Light."

"Hmmm…I see what you mean," Ryuk muttered, looking down at the playful woman suspiciously when she nuzzled against him. "Why aren't you afraid of me?"

"Should I be?" she questioned with a wide eyed innocence which the shinigami found comical.

Ryuk released one of his creepy cackles then hugged the woman briefly. He was not shy or embarrassed around her like he had been that bubble headed Misa girl. She had been endlessly annoying and infuriating. He had never understood why Light had kept her around. Light appeared to actually love this woman so he thought he should at least like her. He looked down at her and understood he would have to be very careful not to make the same mistake Gelus did and fall in love with a human. Light was right about her.

* * *

"Are you ready to meet my mother and sister?" Light inquired, receiving a scathing look from his fiancée.

"Light! We're in front of the house. It's a little late to be worrying about that now," Hillie snapped grouchily, straightening her skirt and blouse.

"Don't worry. They'll like you," he assured her, buttoning another button on her top and pulling her hair around to try to cover her ample cleavage.

"Stop that," she growled, slapping his hands away and tossing her hair back over her shoulder. "Who are trying to convince that they will like me? Me or yourself?"

The door opened unexpectedly and both people jumped, plastering smiles on their face when his sister Sayu stood there staring at them in confusion. Sayu still lived at home to keep her mother from being lonely and to help take care of things since their father's death.

Light stared at the two women apprehensively as they sized each other up and tried to determine whether to be friends or foes. Women were incredibly strange creatures.

"This is Hillie, my fiancée," Light said, unsure if either one of the women heard him because they were still staring at each other so intently.

Hillie gazed at the girl a few years younger than herself who still looked like a young teenager despite being in her early twenties. The girl had dark brown hair and brown eyes; there was an overt innocence about her that was truly compelling. She leaned forward, giving the girl a brief hug which she returned weakly.

"Mom! Light's wife-to-be is here!" Sayu yelled without taking her eyes off of Hillie.

"His what? Invite them in Sayu," Sachiko told her with slight irritation in her gentle voice.

Sayu moved to the side, allowing them to pass by her. She followed them silently to the kitchen where their mother was putting the finishing touches on dinner. She looked like an older version of Sayu with shorter hair. Her eyes filled with tears when she saw Hillie, and she rushed forward to embrace her.

"This is the woman you love, my son? She's lovely. I wish your father could be here for this moment," Sachiko sniffed, dabbing at her teary eyes with the corner of her apron.

Hillie seized Light's hand in hers when she saw his head drop forward with sadness and remorse. She knew he wished the same thing and was guilt ridden because his father was not here. Giving his hand a slight squeeze, she reached out to his mother to put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry I won't ever get to meet him. Light has told me so much about him. I know what a close loving family you have," Hillie murmured gently, feeling her fiancé's arm slide around her waist.

"Thank you. Sit, please," his kind mother invited, waving a hand toward the table. "Let's eat dinner and talk about the future instead of mourning the past."

Over dinner they discussed wedding plans which included a short, simple ceremony at the park near the National Police Agency building. Light had been able to salvage his job with the NPA by telling them that he had been kidnapped and tortured by a suspect who claimed to be Kira. The fact that he had proof etched into his chest supported the story entirely without having to go into too much detail. After writing out a statement containing many vague and convoluted details, he was questioned briefly and the matter was dropped when the paperwork was filed.

* * *

A month later when the paperwork was filed and both had completed the necessary forms to achieve dual citizenship in Japan and the United States, a nice, quiet, western style ceremony took place with Sayu, Sachiko, and a few coworkers and friends of Light's in attendance. Hillie was wearing a plain, demure ivory colored dress that covered her from her neck to her ankles while Light wore a black suit and black shirt with a white tie instead of a tuxedo. Ryuk, only visible to the bride and groom, stood behind the officiant through the whole ceremony. Afterwards, they all went to eat at the restaurant where Light and Hillie had enjoyed their first date. The happy couple laughed hysterically when they were seated in the very same private room where their date had taken place just a few months earlier.

"Remember our first kiss?" Light whispered in her ear, kissing the bumpy goose flesh that had risen across her neck.

"How could I forget? You ordered one of those cakes and extra strawberries right?" she giggled, kissing him on the lips when he leaned into her.

"Of course," he replied, hugging her to his side.

"All right you two! You'll get to the honeymoon soon enough," Sachiko chided the amorous couple, raising her glass for a toast. "A toast to my son and my new daughter. May their lives be lengthy and joyful. May they make me a grandmother soon."

"With the way they act, they will definitely make you an obaasan very soon!" one of Light's friends commented, making everyone laugh.

Hillie stared at her new husband lovingly as she raised the champagne glass to her lips. It was hard to imagine the two of them as parents. Did they really want to bring a child into their insanity? It was a subject that they had not yet breached in their short and exceptionally strange courtship which they barely survived. Their marriage would with any luck be the beginning of something quite different in their lives. Whatever it would be, it would without a doubt be something weird.


	9. A Perfect Man for a Perfect World

A Perfect Man for a Perfect World

_Click, click, clackety, click, clack. _What the hell is that sound?

Hillie tentatively opened one eye to see the desk lamp was on. Like a tiny beacon in the dark room, it illuminated the source of the noise: her husband sitting at his desk typing on the computer. Sleepily, she rose out of the bed completely naked. Passing by the big eyed and even bigger mouthed shinigami, she raised her hand.

"Not a word. I'm not in the mood," she grumbled at the death god who she had a tendency to treat like a pet. He did not seem to mind though. She grabbed her robe from the chair at her make up table and slid it on before going to her husband of six months.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I didn't mean to wake you," he said, kissing her hand that was gently laid on his shoulder.

"What are you doing, Light? Are you having trouble sleeping?" she asked, looking down to see he had the Death Note open on his desk with a pen hovering over the page. He had already written down four names. Her eyes moved to the computer where he was flipping through profiles of convicted criminals using his left hand to type.

"There is some work that needs to be done. I'll be coming to bed soon," he assured her, ignoring her exasperated sigh. "Are you all right? You seem so tired all of the time. Are you still taking your daily naps?"

"Yes," she sighed, taking off the robe and laying it on the foot of the bed. "Maybe I'm just depressed. Honey, can I get a part time job? Just to give me something to do?"

"But you're my wife. I expect you to act as such. You don't need a job. You have me," he said with another burst of typing from the left hand before hurriedly scrawling a name in the notebook with the right.

Light had changed in the last six months. Not necessarily in a bad way, but he was without a doubt not the same man she had married. He had become something of a male chauvinist and insisted she stay at home to be a housewife. That was a development she had not seen coming. He did make very good money so there was no real need for her to work other than to occupy her time. He allowed her to spend money on whatever she wanted so it was not as if he was withholding anything from her. He had also become a workaholic; he had thrown himself into work not only at the agency but also at home.

The Death Note had once again become a fixture in his life. When the discussion of children had come up, he was all for it. He wanted to have as many as possible. Getting her pregnant would be the biggest part of the fun, and he could hardly wait to have a house full of sons. Casually waving off her argument about their fragile mental states, he insisted there was absolutely nothing wrong with them and claimed it was the rest of the world that had an issue. He would be the solution to that problem. It was necessary to get busy creating a safe and perfect world for his offspring.

Hillie lay in bed pondering what it all meant while waiting for her husband to join her. The only matter that really bothered her was his stubborn unwillingness to allow her to get a simple part time job. He swore it was because his mother had always been a housewife and that was what he wanted for his wife. Like father, like son; a dedicated police officer with a loving wife who took care of home and hearth. However, unlike his father, he wanted to become the creator and ruler of a perfect world. Apparently the only things she had accomplished during her psychological torture of the man were breaking down his barriers to make him feel love for her and remorse for her brother's death. He still wanted to rule the world – _his world_. Two out of three ain't bad as the old song goes.

"Hillie," Light murmured in her ear, kissing her neck. He held her tighter when she flinched violently under his touch. "Are you all right? What's wrong now?"

Hillie did not miss the irritation in his voice. "I was just thinking. You scared me."

'Oh, sure. I scare her but not the escapee from the insane clown asylum over there,' he thought to himself, giving Ryuk a signal to vacate the room. He was about to make love to his wife, and they did not need an audience. One time of that was enough. That would be a night none of them, humans and shinigami alike, would forget.

* * *

_Hillie was on top of Light very much caught up in the pleasure of their lovemaking when the Shinigami suddenly made himself visible on the bed next to her. _

"_Ooooh, that looks like fun. I wish I could do that," Ryuk had said as he materialized beside her._

_Hillie screamed so loudly and shrilly it hurt her husband and the Shinigami's ears. She jumped off Light and fled from the room. Of course! Now she gets scared! _

"_What the hell is wrong with you?" Light yelled at the laughing death god. "From now on, stay the hell out when I'm having sex with my wife."_

"_Sure thing, Light. Want me to go find her for you? It looks like you have a bit of a problem there," the cackling Ryuk pointed out as if Light was not aware of his throbbing, aching member pointed at the ceiling._

"_You've done quite enough. Thank you," he snapped, somehow managing to get up off the bed to go find Hillie. He found her downstairs in the kitchen drinking water._

"_Will this be a habit for him?" she asked, turning to look at her husband._

"_No. I talked to him," her handsome husband assured her, taking the glass out of her hand and setting it in the sink. He sat her on the counter and proceeded to finish in the kitchen what they had started in the bedroom.  
_

* * *

"What were you thinking about, my love?" Light inquired, rolling her over onto her back to kiss her neck and chest.

"Should we really have children? We're not exactly stable. You and I both are aware of that. We are logical and somewhat sane for the most part but we do have our moments," she stated faintly, unable to ignore the pleasurable sensation of his tongue working its way around her nipple.

"Babe, now is not the time for this discussion," he pointed out, moving over on top of her.

"But Light… oh my god," she gasped, clutching his shoulders as he buried himself inside of her.

"Mm-hmm, you would do well to remember that," he murmured, holding the gaze of her maroon brown eyes with his.

Hillie bit her lower lip as he made her feel like he was looking straight through her into the very depths of her being. Her husband was reminding her that he owned her by using his intense domineering gaze as he pushed himself in and out of her and controlled her body. She did not mind him asserting his dominance by gradually driving her crazy with pleasure until she was weak and helpless beneath him.

"Oh, Light," she moaned in his ear, running her fingers through his hair as he progressively brought her toward a second orgasm. She had to admit, he was very good in bed and knew just what to do to her to create heaven right here on earth for her.

"Hillie, damn you feel good," he breathed into her ear.

Hillie cried out from pleasure and surprise when he unexpectedly pulled her arms from around his neck and slammed her wrists down to the bed. She stared up at him as he held her down, pushing himself up to hover over her as he thrust into her forcefully. Her legs wrapped around his waist pulling her hips up to meet his powerful shoves. She shrieked with pain and pleasure when his fingers then his fingernails dug into her butt cheek before slowly moving up her thigh clawing her slightly. These little bursts of violence during sex were becoming more and more prominent. Yes, something suppressed deep inside of him had reawakened. She was not sure if she liked the beast within.

* * *

Hillie regarded him thoughtfully over her coffee cup the next morning. He was still her Light; gorgeous with his picture-perfect brown hair and deep brown eyes, but there was something…something she could not put her finger on that made him appear altered to her. It seemed as if he had regained his god complex, but he still treated her well with dignity and respect. She guessed every King of the World needed a Queen and she was his chosen one.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" he asked, interrupting her contemplations. "And don't tell me just thinking. I can already see that by the faraway look in your eyes. Why are you thinking so much? That could prove to be a dangerous past time for you."

Hillie could not help but smile at him. That last quip was indeed an attempt at humor by her mostly serious husband made evident by the ghost of smile turning up the corners of his kissable pink lips.

"You are simply hilarious, my dear," she said, taking a long sip of her barely warm coffee. Perhaps he was right. Thinking could be a perilous hobby for her.

"I know. I'm perfect," he remarked humorlessly this time. Sighing deeply, almost sadly, he added, "I am a perfect man in an imperfect world."

Hillie held her breath as he reached out to touch her face. She wanted to cry from the overwhelming sorrow that flooded her and threatened to devastate her emotionally by means of its swift onset and intensity. She obeyed like someone under mind control when he beckoned her to him with his finger. Sitting down in his lap at his gentle urging, it felt as if every muscle in her body clenched with arousal from his passionate kiss. She moaned into his mouth when his fingers slid into her robe and upon finding her nipple pinched it just enough to send a jolt of ecstasy through her.

"I will make this world perfect. For me and you…" He paused, untying the belt of her robe. He slid his fingers right into her, making her moan his name. "And our children."

"Light," Hillie gasped when he stood her up beside the table.

After removing her robe, Light pushed her forward and she compliantly leaned over, pressing her palms flat against the table. She could hear him unbuckling his belt and unzipping his pants. A loud cry of pleasure escaped her when his hard member pushed into her yearning body. He had that strong of an effect on her; a kiss and a few touches and she wanted him with a profound, aching desire. He was doing a fantastic job of sating the different kind of hunger he had stirred within her at the breakfast table this morning as he held onto her hips and thrust into her with long, slow strokes. Eventually, they both achieved orgasms and he once again filled her with his seed. He was doing his best to get her pregnant as soon as possible.

Hillie pulled on her robe and gathered herself together when he walked out of the kitchen to get cleaned up and ready to go to work again. She was waiting for him by the front door with his briefcase in her hands and his adoring good-bye kiss when he emerged from the downstairs bathroom.

"I love you, sweetheart. This world will be ours," Light whispered to her, pressing his hand against her belly. "I can't wait to be a father."

'Obviously,' Hillie thought to herself as she watched him walk down the sidewalk with a swagger in his step and a joyful whistle on his lips. She should have known his humble attitude and inexplicable rationality were only temporary side effects of his torture and captivity. She closed the door and leaned against it before sliding down to the floor. Her arms crossed over her belly as she hugged herself for some kind of comfort. A baby – that was all he seemed to want or think about at this time. His one goal in this world apart from owning it had become getting her pregnant. True immortality lies within children. One can only achieve immortality here on this earth when they give birth to the future who will carry on their parents' legacy.

The god was alive. He was back and he was again plotting and planning his perfect world. He was already working on repopulating it with his perfect descendants.


	10. Return of the god

Return of the god

Hillie was unable to withhold her noisy sigh of aggravation when she walked into the bedroom. Her eyes drilled into the back of her husband's head as he sat at the computer just like every night. Typing with his left hand and writing with his right, he was killing hundreds, maybe thousands. His own actions at home were keeping him busier than ever at work. The Kira case had gone into overdrive as the NPA worked in full panic mode due to the recent and sudden rise in deaths of criminals, not just in Japan but around the world. They were sure there were several killers working around the globe in tandem with each other. There were definitely others in addition to Light but he was Zeus – the leader of the Death Note gods. Light was special among all of the them. The one god among men who was busy creating his perfect world and somehow managed to find time to complete the physical activity necessary to impregnate his wife.

Light had begun to grow impatient. It had been three months and she was still not pregnant. He had become very edgy and irritable, losing his temper easily over small things. The outbursts were always followed with profuse apologies and pleas of "you just don't understand what it's like to be me." No one could understand what it was like to be him. To be a god among men was like a prince being forced to live among pigs in a pigpen. It was shameful and demeaning. It made him angry. He looked at his lovely and dutiful wife as she slipped beneath the covers of the bed naked to wait for him. A self-important, smug grin touched his lips when he silently congratulated himself on what a wonderful job he had done training her to be the woman who deserved him. He knew fate had been kind to him because she was a special and rare find indeed. It had never occurred to him, even when he first met her, that he would actually find a woman worthy of him and his attention.

Hillie closed her eyes to avoid seeing that egotistical, maniacal smile of his. She had come to hate that look. Wrapping her arms around her chilled body, she snuggled down into the bed seeking some semblance of warmth.

"Don't go to sleep yet. I'll be there soon, my love," Light assured her.

Hillie shuddered with the thought. She no longer enjoyed having sex with Light. It had become a chore, a task to be completed for the no other purpose than the fertilization of an egg. She was nothing more to him than an incubator for his perfect race. Japanese Hitler with a handsome face and impeccable taste in clothes with a personality so manipulative and smooth he could talk Satan out of his throne in hell. From one master manipulator to the other, even the devil himself would have to bow and concede victory to the abilities of Light Yagami in lies and deception. He was a much more effective murderer and one man army than Hitler had been able to piece together with mere mortals. The pen is definitely mightier than the sword when wielded by Light.

Hillie jumped when her husband touched her, and she steeled herself for what was coming next. Without even a perfunctory kiss, he pushed into her unwilling body not caring that there was resistance. Tonight he did not even bother to roll her over to have sex with her. Maybe it was easier not seeing her face, then he did not have to think of her as a human being anymore; just a hole to plug and hopefully impregnate. Afterwards, she cried and he went back to his computer.

Hours later Hillie was still awake. She lay in the dark listening to her husband's steady breathing. He had only come to bed twenty minutes ago, and she was making sure he was fast asleep before she crept out of the room. Stopping in the kitchen for a glass of water and three apples, she stepped out onto the back porch. She settled herself in her favorite chair, setting the apples on the table beside her. Her eyes watched one of the red juicy apples levitate then begin to slowly disappear as if it were eating itself.

"Can't sleep, Hillie?" Ryuk asked before suddenly popping into tangible existence.

"No. It's bad tonight," she responded, sipping her water.

"Did he hurt you?" he inquired, leaning toward her and waiting for her answer before indulging in another apple.

"Only a little," she answered somewhat truthfully. It had only been a little physically but it had been a whole lot emotionally.

"I can kill him. I can write his name in my Death Note," the shinigami offered, tossing the whole apple into his mouth and chewing noisily.

"No. I don't want you to do that. I don't want anything to happen to you," she said, staring at the white sliver of moon in the sky.

"It won't. I won't leave you, Hillie," he assured her, reaching out to run his skeletal gloved fingers through her hair.

"I just want him back," she sniffed, unable to stop her tears. "I just want him the way he was."

"But that was not him. The way you see him now…that's the way I've always known him. I was hoping the changes you had made in him were permanent," he said, finishing off the last apple. "I truly am sorry they weren't."

"Yeah. Me too," she sobbed, hugging her knees to her chest.

They sat in silence for lengthy minutes while Hillie wept to find relief from her emotional pain. After she dried her tears, she returned to bed with the Shinigami following behind her. She slept close to Light but only to make room for Ryuk on the bed so he could sleep next to her. The death god preferred to stay close to her after catching her husband looking at her with an emotion in his brown eyes that he did not like. He would protect her, even from her own husband.

* * *

"I need you to do deliver these for me. I don't have time," Light told her the next morning, handing her a manila envelope that felt as if it weighed ten pounds from the thick stack of papers it contained.

"What is it?" Hillie asked, shifting the envelope in her hands.

"Just Kira information. A lawyer named Teru Mikami requested them. Have them delivered by eleven," he ordered her as if she were an employee and not his wife. "I'll see you tonight."

"Hey, Light, wait!" she yelled after him, having to jog to catch up he had made such a hasty move for the door. She kissed him on the cheek feeling how stiff and unyielding he was under her attempt at affection. 'Fine. If that's the way he wants it,' she thought to herself as she stepped back from him. "Good-bye, Light."

* * *

Hillie looked at her watch apprehensively as she waited for the elevator on the bottom floor of the tall office building. 10:59. She had accidentally fallen asleep after sitting down for two seconds. It had not been hard for her to nod off after getting very little sleep last night. When she woke up it was ten o' clock so she had to hurry to take a shower and get dressed for her trip downtown to deliver the papers to the lawyer. Rushing in when the doors opened, she stabbed the number 12 resisting the urge to press it repeatedly. She knew that would not make the elevator move any faster. Why did his office have to be on the top floor? After what seemed like an excessively long and slow elevator ride, she forced her body between the doors before they were fully opened and followed the arrows pointing to suite 1212 at the end of the hall. The gold nameplate on the door read Teru Mikami in plain black lettering with no titles or initials attached to the name. Odd. Usually people such as lawyers, doctors, and the like are exceptionally proud of their titles and initials indicating their pompous professions.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself and not seem so panicked, Hillie opened the door with one last check of her watch. 11:02. Damn. She hoped this lawyer did not report her tardy arrival time to her anal retentive husband.

"Can I help you?" the snooty young administrative assistant with immaculately coiffed blond hair and seamlessly applied make up asked her.

Choking back the urge to tell her that she could jump out of the window right there, Hillie took the hefty packet of papers out of her unusually large shoulder bag. "I needed to deliver these to Mr. Mikami. They're from Light Yagami."

The doors behind the secretary opened as if speaking Light's name had the magical ability of declaring "open says me" to unsecure locked doors. An unexpectedly young and attractive man with shoulder length shaggy black hair and dark cold eyes appeared from the room which undoubtedly was his office. He was dressed in a flawless black suit with a black shirt and white tie.

Hillie swallowed the bile that rose in her throat suddenly because it reminded her of how Light looked on their wedding day just a little over nine months ago. She staggered a bit from the swift rush of emotions coupled with a lack of sleep that made her dizzy all of a sudden.

Teru Mikami moved forward while his secretary stood and watched the unsteady woman almost faint in front of them. His arms went around Hillie and held her steady as the world continued to spin for her.

"Get a glass of water for her Honoka instead of standing there," Teru growled at his assistant. He was disappointed and agitated that Light Yagami had not delivered the papers himself. "Are you all right, Miss…?"

"Mrs. Yagami. You can call me Hillie," she told him, ignoring the expression of surprise on his face.

"Here, Mrs. Yagami, please sit down," Teru said politely, assisting her with lowering herself into the chair nearby. A barely noticeable smile touched his lips from the revelation that this was Light's wife. It was not a total loss after all. Taking the glass from his secretary, he held it out for the weak, shaky woman.

"Thank you," she told him, reaching for the glass of water he handed her. After taking a few sips, she felt heat rise to her cheeks in embarrassment. "I'm terribly sorry. I didn't mean to be such an inconvenience."

"Nonsense, I don't mind at all. I've never seen such a pretty inconvenience," he complimented to ease the obvious embarrassment showing on her face.

Hillie could feel the blue eyes of the jealous administrative assistant burning a hole through her. Was the woman here for a job or a husband? She flashed the blond a caustic expression of her own then tentatively rose to her feet to make sure she had her land legs back before attempting to walk.

"I do apologize for being a problem, Mr. Mikami. I was late and then had the nerve to nearly pass out on you. Good day," she said, bowing slightly to him as she prepared to leave.

"Wait," he said, taking hold of her arm with a gentle hand. "Can I take you to lunch? It's nearly that time anyway, and it's the least I can do to show my gratitude for bringing these papers all the way here personally."

"I don't know if I should. My husband might not like it," Hillie replied feeling like a teenage girl who needed to ask for Daddy's permission to go out.

"It's just lunch, Mrs. Yagami. I'm not asking you on a date," he laughed lightly, putting his hands in his pockets. He smiled at her with all the charm he could muster. His motives were underhanded in that he was interested in getting to know her husband instead of her. It worked to his advantage that Light Yagami has a pretty wife he can use to get close to him and draw him out. He wanted to meet his personal god, the object of his admiration for years, and she would help him do it.


	11. A Lesson Relearned

A Lesson Relearned

"Ryuk! Ryuk!" Hillie called for the resident Shinigami when she walked into the house.

"What is it, Hillie? Did you bring me something?" he asked like an overjoyed child when their mother comes home. He was dancing happily from one foot to the other guessing by the big smile on her face that she had in fact brought him a treat. She knew what he liked best.

"Sure did," she said, shoving the whole bag of apples into his clutching hands.

"You know I love you right?" he inquired, hugging her briefly with one arm because his coveted apples were held with the other.

"Yes, I know you love me," she laughed, watching him tear into the bag. She took his hand in hers and gazed up at him pleadingly after he popped a whole apple into his mouth. "Ryuk, I need your help. I want _my _Light back. I need you to explain the rules of the Death Note to me. I want to know how it works."

* * *

"Light," Hillie called when he sat down at his desk. She saw him open the drawer to retrieve that damnable notebook and blurted, "I invited Mr. Mikami to dinner Friday night. Here. At the house."

"You did what?" he asked calmly, turning around in his chair to look at her.

Hillie sat up on her knees in the middle of the bed, deciding to unleash everything on him when he did not sound or look angry with her. "He took me to lunch today. Oh, Light," she proclaimed excitedly, bouncing up and down slightly. "You should have heard him talk about you! I would have thought the man was in love with you or something. He's your biggest fan, honey!"

"You did what with who?" her husband coolly inquired.

"Mr. Mikami took me to lunch when I nearly fainted in his office. Anyway…"

"You did what?"

"Do you have a hearing problem?"

Hillie rolled her eyes and slammed her fists into the bed like a pouty child. This conversation was not going like she planned. Then she smiled. At least the notebook was in the drawer and his attention was on her.

"I'm all right. It was just from lack of sleep and I had not eaten," she hurriedly explained, trying to get back to her story about Teru Mikami. "I think you'll really like him. He shares a lot of the same ideals and attitudes that you do. He runs a special program for children to teach them to be better citizens. There's a special emphasis on the problem of bullies. Not only how to deal with them but also how not to become one."

"Sounds fascinating," he remarked with a tinge of sarcasm to his voice. He turned his chair around to face the computer.

"Light Yagami!" she yelled, hopping off the bed. She seized his hands, pulling them behind him. Using the leather ties she had wrapped around her waist to look like a loose belt, she bound his hands together then attached them to the back of the chair. She had been planning this all day and knew she had to work fast to keep him from fighting back.

"Hillie! I have work to do!" Light bellowed, pulling at the restraints. All he managed to accomplish was tightening the straps causing them to dig into his wrists.

Hillie spun his chair around, letting him rotate a few times before she stopped him. Straddling his lap, she grabbed a fistful of his hair and jerked his head back to expose his sensitive neck. She licked him from the hollow of his throat all the way up to his chin.

"Yes, Light you do have work to do. There's certain things you've been neglecting around here," she said, pulling the knife out of the sheath attached to the back of her shorts.

"Like what?" he questioned leering at her despite the knife she lay against his cheek.

"Have you not noticed what has happened to our marriage? Are you just not aware of the breakdown we've experienced?" she queried, sliding the knife between the button and fabric of white dress shirt he was wearing. She jerked her wrist to the side and the button went flying as she cut the threads attaching it to his shirt.

"Hillie! The only breakdown we're experiencing around here is yours," he retorted, glaring at her as she continued to cut each button from his shirt.

"Maybe so. Enjoy it, dear husband," she remarked menacingly, pulling his shirt open to expose his defined torso. Her hands slid over his chest and abdomen while her lips and tongue teased his neck. Her fingers played along each small scar that marred his otherwise perfect body. She had left him with a permanent reminder, but he had still managed to forget the lesson she had already taught him.

"Hillie," he called her name this time with a definitely different tone to his voice. It reminded her of the way he once said her name in the hotel room.

"Light, do you still love me?" She held his face in her hands looking into his deep, brown eyes that were glassy with arousal.

"Yes, I still love you." He leaned forward to kiss her and she moved back just out of his reach.

"Do you?" She slapped his face, surprised to hear the moan escape him. Judging by the desire in his half lidded, drunken eyes it was from pleasure and not pain.

"Yes, yes, YES! I love you!" he shouted at her, bucking his hips underneath her in the chair.

"Good. That's what I wanted to hear," she said, patting his cheek and kissing his forehead. She stood up, grabbing the roll of duct tape from the top of the filing cabinet sitting beside the desk.

"Wh-what are you doing?" he asked apprehensively watching as she tore off a piece of the duct tape. "What are you do– "

Hillie covered his mouth with the strip of tape, pressing it down firmly from ear to ear. She patted both of his cheeks and looked at him as the muffled sound of his yells emanated from behind the silver tape and his angry eyes glared menacingly at her. Proceeding carefully as not to be kicked, she taped his knees together before taping his ankles together.

"My dear, you can sit there for the rest of the night and think about how you've treated me the last nine months," she said, bending down to tie his feet to the bottom of the chair so that he was completely tied down. She knew he was resourceful enough to escape if she did not have him fully bound.

Hillie rolled him to the center of the room, facing him away from his desk. She covered his eyes with the mask and put the headphones on him with the mind numbing hard rock music blaring. It was a good thing she had held on to these things; she never imagined she would be using them again after that week in the hotel room. Apparently, he needed a remedial course in How to be Humble 101. When she was satisfied that she had successfully robbed him of all his senses, she opened the top drawer of the desk and pulled out the seemingly harmless notebook. She ran her fingers over the black leather cover with _Death Note_ written in plain silver letters across the top.

_If you lose the Death Note or have it stolen, you will lose its ownership unless you retrieve it within 490 days. – Rule XII, Part 1_

Hillie stared at the offending thing in her hands as she walked down the stairs. Now that she had stolen it, where was she going to hide if for four hundred and ninety days? That amounted to just over sixteen months. When the time is up, he will have lost ownership of the Death Note and his memory of it. How could she keep this thing out of Light's hands for that length of time?

* * *

After calling in sick for Light to the NPA, Hillie made a trip to the post office with a thick manila envelope containing the insidious black notebook sealed in a plastic bag and wrapped in brown paper. She addressed the envelope to her father at the FBI headquarters in Washington D.C. Attached to the front of the envelope was a letter requesting that he not open the envelope and leave it in his office until she could pick it up in a few weeks. She would be going back under the pretense that she had discovered information regarding her brother's death that he needed to know. Her excuse for her extended and lengthy stay in Japan was that she believed she was close to finding the killer and the Death Note that had been used to murder the FBI agents. She had not told her parents that she had married the murderer. The very Death Note that contained her brother's name would soon by lying on her father's desk. It was the perfect hiding place; right in plain sight, literally under their nose where they would never look.

Hillie returned home as quickly as possible. She had a 'sick' husband to tend to and a dinner party to plan for Friday night.

* * *

"So we're back to this?" Light asked when she ripped the tape from his mouth.

"Apparently so, my darling," Hillie responded calmly, injecting him with a tranquilizer. "Think of it as a refresher course in being a human. I want my husband back, Light. This monster you've become is not the man I married."

"This _god_ is who I am. That _man_ you married was not really me," he informed her hatefully, disdain heavy in his voice.

"Yes, it was Light. It's all because of that damn Death Note. It made you a brute and a fiend. That's why it's gone now," she said, jumping back when he lurched forward nearly toppling the chair. She was glad she had not cut his restraints yet.

"What do you mean gone?" he yelled, his voice cracking with powerful emotion. The wrath that burned in his eyes made her shiver in fright.

"I stole it. And I have hidden it," she answered in the most basic terms.

It was too late for him to react. The adrenaline rush from his anger had sent the tranquilizer speeding through his system and it was already working. Light's head lolled forward and he was unconscious before he could even utter a curse word at her for her treachery.

"Ryuk, help me," she requested, cutting the tape and ties from around Light's body.

The Shinigami caught the unconscious man as he toppled from the chair and flung him on the bed like a doll.

"Ryuk! Don't hurt him!" Hillie cried out, rushing to her husband to make sure nothing had been broken.

"Why not?" the vexed death god demanded. "Hillie, he would have killed you! You could see it in his eyes, but I knew what he was thinking. I will kill him first," Ryuk threatened, producing his Death Note and beginning to write before she grabbed his hands.

"No, please!" she shrieked, pushing the pen away from the paper. "I don't want to lose you either. Ryuk, please don't."

The usually silly, laidback Shinigami released a noisy breath signaling his frustration. His great big red eyes studied her momentarily before he ran his fingers through her hair. "I won't kill him. Today. If he threatens you again or even acts like he's going to kill you, I'm writing his name in my Death Note."

"But you'll die. Please, don't leave me," she begged, placing her hand against his chest.

"I'll sacrifice my life for you if I have to, Hillie. I will make sure you live to find someone else to love you. Why don't you just leave? Go back to the United States and not come back. He will never love you. He's incapable," he warned her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"He already does love me. He's just forgotten. I love him. I don't understand it myself. I don't know how I can love him, but I do," she said, the tears brimming in her eyes but she refused to let them fall.

"Damn humans. So irritating," he muttered, turning to walk away.

Hillie smiled at the Shinigami who turned back at the door and decided to stay in the room with her. He thought it would be best if he stood guard during this process. He was also fascinated to observe the process of taming the beast that Light Yagami had become. She had done it once and she was going to do it again. This time he could watch the whole thing.


	12. Conception of a god

Conception of a god

Hillie ran her fingers over the bright red slashes defacing Light's back. He was naked and tied to the bed, lying on his stomach. It appeared as if she had intended to draw and quarter him the way each limb was secured to a corner of the bed. She moved the soft leather cat o'nine tails whip through the air just enough to make a sound. A smile tilted her lips when Light flinched and shivered beneath her hand after hearing the swishing sound.

"Please, no more. I'm yours. I'm sorry, Hillie," he apologized again.

Hillie was not sure of the count anymore of his apologies. It did not matter anyway. What mattered was if he meant it and would remember this time. She grabbed his hair and pulled his head back, placing the hard braided handle of the whip under his neck. Hearing the gurgling choking sounds he was making, she lowered him a little to release some of the pressure on his neck.

"How many times will I have to do this, Light Yagami? I thought you had learned your lesson. You are no god. You are a man. _My man_," she clarified to him in a growl.

"Yes, woman, dammit now let me go," he demanded, grunting when she let his head drop causing him to face plant into the bed.

"Wrong answer!" she yelled, hitting him with the whip across his behind.

Light howled in pain and Ryuk chuckled sadistically. "Oh, Hillie, I had no idea you were so incredibly harsh with your punishments," he cackled gleefully. He could not stop himself from reaching out to touch her. His fingernails slid down her back, tickling her and exciting her at the same time, making her call out his name.

"What the hell is going on with you two?" Light growled struggling beneath Hillie as she pushed down on his neck with her hand.

"Shut up!" she ordered, forcing his face down into the mattress.

"Let him go before you suffocate him," the Shinigami cautioned her, touching her face with the tips of his fingers. Seeing her like this had increased his affection for her to an almost uncomfortable level.

"Not yet. He hasn't learned. He hasn't changed. I want him back! I want the man I married back!" she shouted, her voice rising in pitch with each word making her sound hysterical by the time she finished. She raised her hand to allow him to breathe when she felt Light's struggling becoming slower and weaker. Killing him would defeat the purpose of this training exercise. How to train your man with a god complex in a week or less; she should write a book.

Ryuk pulled her away from the tired, battered man and took her into his exceptionally long arms. He held her, stroking her back with one hand and playing with her hair using his other hand. He looked down at her as her hands tenderly patted his chest.

"You did it, didn't you? I warned you! You fool! I told you not to fall in love with her," Light snarled, disgust and anger twisting his face into a nightmarish mask.

"Shut up, Light. She's already stopped me from writing your name down in my Death Note once. She won't stop me a second time," he warned the man. "You're the fool. What you have is already perfect and you're destroying it."

When the overly friendly death god released her, Hillie untied her husband. She stood beside the bed, waiting and watching while he lay on his belly breathing hard for several minutes. Her heart was pounding so rapidly she was afraid it would give out and cease beating altogether. Her eyes met Light's when he rolled onto his back and looked up at her. She could see the pain in his eyes, physical as well as emotional.

"I don't want to do this anymore," he announced, his voice pathetically weak.

"Do what?" she inquired, gulping hard to force down the lump of apprehension in her throat.

"Hurt each other. I'm sorry, Hillie. I lost all of my senses when I came back and began using that Death Note again," he admitted, reaching out for her hand. He grasped her shaking fingers when she extended them to him and pulled her down into his arms.

"What if we give the Death Note to someone? What about Teru Mikami? I swear Light, the man truly is a disciple of yours. He is just as dedicated and passionate about getting rid of evil as you are. I believe he would be a great successor. Please, give it to him," she begged him, kissing him in hopes that would be the final push to convince him.

"I will talk to him at dinner Friday night and decide if he is worthy. Until then," he said, bringing her mouth back to his. "Ryuk, disappear."

Ryuk did just that but he did not leave the room. He was actually hanging upside down from the ceiling, his face was inches from Hillie's as her husband made love to her with her on top. If only it weren't against the rules, he would gladly take the human woman like her husband was now. Instead he would have to enjoy sex vicariously through the bastard beneath her. Once again, he touched her, making her moan from the gentle clawing across her back that tickled and teased.

Hillie knew the source of the enticing sensation making goose bumps appear over entire body but bit her lower lip to keep from gasping his name. She closed her eyes and tilted her face toward the ceiling because she knew he was there observing them. Lying down on top of her husband, she kissed him as she held his hips tightly against her and rolled over so that he was on top. She pressed her hand to the back of Light's neck holding his lips against her neck. Extending her hand upward, she stared at the ceiling as Ryuk made himself visible and reached down to grasp her hand.

"Yes, oh yes, YES!" she cried out as she reached the apex of pleasure under Light. Her hand was released by the death god so she could hold her husband while he climaxed.

"I love you, Hillie. I love you," he whispered again and again in her ear. Little did he know her eyes were locked on the red eyes of the black haired Shinigami above them.

"I know. I know you do."

* * *

"Hello, darling," Hillie greeted Light warmly at the door Friday evening when he arrived home from work.

"I'm glad to be home. It was a long day," he sighed, pulling her into his arms and kissing her more passionately than he would have if he had known their guest had already arrived.

Teru Mikami cleared his throat, standing up from the couch where he and Hillie had been sitting and talking while sipping cocktails while they waited for Light to come home.

"Oh, I did not realize our guest was here," he said, reluctantly relinquishing his grip on his wife.

"You're a little late getting home, dear. Mr. Mikami was right on time," she informed him, unable to resist the urge to bring it to his attention that he had been less than punctual.

"Mr. Yagami, I'm so thrilled to meet you. I have read so much about you that I feel like I know you already," Teru Mikami gushed in a syrupy sweet tone that made Hillie want to gag. The ultimate sycophant; she was so glad she had stumbled upon this guy. Fate had been kind to her in making it possible that she could meet him. With any luck, that damn Death Note would become his problem and Light would be free.

"Well, Mr. Mikami, I know absolutely nothing about you so why don't we have a drink and you tell me about yourself, hmmm?" Light suggested, waving him toward the couch.

Hillie dutifully went to the kitchen to make their drinks and even brought appetizers on her return trip. After delivering the food and drinks, she promptly excused herself to return to the kitchen with the reason of finishing the dinner preparations. Her true intentions were to save herself from the special meeting of the mutual admiration society that was about to begin. She took her time setting the table and transferring the food to serving dishes before taking it to the table.

"…getting rid of useless, hopeless individuals to make this a better world," Teru was saying when Hillie walked back into the living room.

"Dinner is ready gentlemen," she politely informed them with a soft voice, playing the part of the quiet, submissive wife.

"You're quite a shocking individual for an American. You're not rude and loud. You don't talk too much like most American women do either," the lawyer commented forthrightly standing up to follow Light to the dinner room.

Hillie ignored Light's smug grin and refused to give into the urge to slap the hell out of Mikami. She had a role to fulfill here to keep that idiot from knowing she was the one in charge of the Death Note at this time. She also needed him to keep believing the god was still on his throne.

Dinner was a nauseating event with the ingratiating Teru Mikami kissing Light's butt in every way except the literal sense of the phrase. Hillie was a bit worried if she left the room for too long that would result as well. It was obvious Light was enjoying the worship from the absolutely fanatical man. A blush even graced his cheeks a few times after particularly impassioned monologues by Mikami dedicated to flattering his idol. She resorted to poking at her dinner with her fork to avoid spewing right there at the table. She would not be surprised if the man kowtowed to her husband by the end of the evening. Ryuk stood in the corner of the room rolling his big eyes and making faces at the two men as they continued their discussion of the death penalty and harsher punishment for criminals. When she was returning with dessert, their guest finally got to the heart of the matter once he thought he had praised the god enough to gain his favor and trust.

"I know about the Death Note. I want one. I want to be a god among men with the ability to give the deadbeats and plain lazy members of society what they deserve. I want to be like you," Teru said with a disturbing zeal to his words.

Hillie set down the plates and turned to leave because she had reached her limit of hearing Mikami's bullshit. She gasped when Light seized her wrist, keeping her from making her intended retreat. Teru's constant rambling about punishment, justice, and a perfect world reminded her too much of Light's recent relapse into godhood. It was like stabbing a dagger in her heart and showing her what he could too easily become again. She looked at the dark haired man who stared back at her questioningly as her husband gripped her wrist with an absolutely unbreakable grasp.

"Sit down. You should be here for this," Light informed her, pulling her down into her chair. His eyes had never left Mikami as he was speaking to her. His next words were directed to him, "Do you really believe you are worthy of being Kira?"

Hillie inhaled sharply, holding her breath as Light squeezed her wrist in his cruel grip. Her eyes met those of the man across the table from her. She looked away immediately, turning her attention to Ryuk who stepped toward the table. Shaking her head in a barely perceptible manner, she notified him to stay away.

"Yes, I do. I have studied you and followed you for years. I will do nothing but bring pride and adoration to the name of Kira," he answered, dropping out of his chair onto his knees in front of Light. He leaned forward, touching his forehead to the floor between his god's feet.

Damn. The man actually did it. Hillie snatched her wrist from her husband's hand when she felt him loosen his grip. Shockingly enough, Teru's unexpected act of dedication had caught Light off guard. She had to give the man props for that because astonishing her husband was not an easy thing to do.

"Please, give me a chance. If I disappoint you, I will return the Death Note and you can write my name in it," he said, returning to his chair after the revolting display of submission and allegiance.

Light glanced at Hillie then told Teru Mikami, "Come back to dinner in two weeks. I will give it to you then. Some arrangements must be made first."


	13. Uncomfortably Near

Uncomfortably Near

Hillie took a deep breath as she stared at the plain white building with lots of windows. It looked just like any other office building in Washington D.C., but it was not. It belonged to the FBI and housed some of their finest agents. There was a particular agent she was here to see and that would be her father. She walked in the door, taking her oversized purse from her shoulder and placing it on the table for the security guard to inspect. She smiled at the young guard who tentatively patted her down for the body examination with a blush on his handsome face before he nodded for her to go through the metal detector. There was no beep or alarm so she fetched her purse from the end of the x ray machine conveyor belt and went on her way.

"Who are you here to see?" the receptionist asked at the front desk just behind the security checkpoint.

"Agent Dayton, my father," she announced, watching the woman grab the phone and push buttons.

"Agent Dayton? Your daughter is in the lobby, sir," the woman told him. After hanging up, she informed Hillie that her father would be right out.

Hillie walked toward to the wall of windows that overlooked the scenic courtyard full of neatly arranged bushes and benches with a fountain in the middle. She stared at the intricately and beautifully sculpted fountain that showed US tax dollars at work. She wondered if any of the agents even used the courtyard to take a break or eat lunch.

"Hillie," her father's voice echoed across the foyer to her.

Hillie turned to look at the man her brother would have looked like in twenty years. In his later forties, her father was still a strikingly handsome man with his golden brown hair and eyes. He could have been a model had he not chosen to be a federal agent instead. She had often pondered how many female agents her father had seduced to gain information. He had not been a field agent for five years but that was where he had spent the first fifteen years of his career. He had become a member of the SPK (Special Provision for Kira) group to replace one of the many agents who had been killed.

"I was wondering when you would get here. I would have picked you up from the airport," he told her rather coldly and formally, giving her a stiff, uncomfortable hug.

Hillie sighed with exasperation. Why had she even expected a heartfelt welcome? She suddenly remembered why she had chosen to stay in Japan and offered her parents nothing more than a two sentence explanation. Her parents were still not over her brother's death. It was tempting to tell her father who she had married just for plain, evil spite. Sometimes she speculated if getting back at her parents was the reason she had chosen to love Light Yagami. At the risk of debasing her brother's memory by marrying his killer, it was the ultimate screw you to her parents. She had left her wedding rings at home to hide the evidence of her marriage.

"I'm sorry to inconvenience you. I'll just get my package and go," she stated in a voice that was shaky with emotion.

"Why did you send that here anyway? Wasn't there some place in Japan you could hide it? You've done a great job of hiding yourself. None of my agents have been able to find you," he admitted, typing in a code on the keypad by the double doors to allow them access to the hallway that led to his office.

Hillie smiled with the knowledge that she had been correct in thinking that he would be sending out people to search for her. "You know, Dad, it's downright irresponsible to be using tax payer's money to be hunting down your wayward daughter."

"I wasn't. I was using my own money to pay them," he explained, sliding an ID card through the slot on his office door.

Hillie blinked in confusion and was momentarily stunned by his admission. Did her father care about her after all? She shook her head to clear it and walked into his office while he held the door open. She saw the envelope sitting in the middle of his government issued desk and seized it before quickly turning to go.

"What's your rush? Can I at least take you to lunch before you go?" he asked her, holding her by the arm.

"My flight leaves at seven." She had chosen to take an overnight nonstop flight back to Japan so she could sleep most of the time.

"It's eleven o' clock. Sit down," he ordered her, pointing at the chair beside her.

Heaving a noisy sigh of aggravation as she plopped down into the cushy leather chair, she glared at her father when he sat down at his desk. She shoved the manila envelope into her bag and held it against her chest while waiting for her father to speak.

"Are you going to go see your mother before you leave?" he asked her, folding his hands on top of the green blotter covering his desk.

"No," she answered icily. She would not be going to see the dragon lady while here. Why would she want to visit the woman who had soundly rejected her daughter after the death of her beloved son? Her mother acted as if Hillie had died that day too the way she chose to completely ignore her existence.

"She's gotten better, Hillie. You can't blame her for – "

"I can't?" she yelled, slamming her hands down on her father's desk. "Why can't I blame her, Dad? She blames me! I know she wishes it had been me. Sometimes I wish it had been me because you two hate me so much."

Her father took a deep breath and rubbed his hands over his face in frustration. He had always been something of an emotional turtle; when things got emotionally heated he would simply pull into his shell and wait for the danger to pass. He was doing that now. Change of subject in three…two…

"Hillie, there's someone I would like for you to meet."

Bingo. There it is. Redirection.

Hillie closed her eyes and prayed for strength. She followed her father down the hall where he led her to an observation room. On the other side of the one way mirror, she could see a young man sitting at a table putting together a puzzle that must contain two thousand pieces. He appeared to be about twelve years old and was wearing what looked like a white pair of pajamas. He had white shaggy hair and serious dark eyes that studied each piece with intense but brief concentration as he swiftly found the one he needed and pressed it into its mate. The thought formed in her head that he was a mental patient of some sort with scary high intelligence and problem solving skills, otherwise she did not understand why he would be here at the bureau offices. She watched in fascinated silence as he worked continuously, constantly moving, incessantly piecing together the huge puzzle.

"His name is Near. It's Nate River actually but he prefers Near," her father explained after the questioning look she gave him. "Despite how he appears, he's not crazy and he's not a child. He's actually seventeen years old. He needs to go to Japan to the NPA but he refuses to fly by himself."

"So you're asking me to be a babysitter?" she inquired, never taking her eyes from the childlike teenager who was now playing with action figures of superheroes.

"Yes, dear. That's exactly what I'm asking. He has a few emotional issues so he needs someone to be with him," her father said, glimpsing at her apprehensively.

Oh, goody. Another emotionally challenged and possibly psychotic man to add to her life. "What else is there?" she asked when her father kept sliding sidelong glances at her.

"Can he stay with you? It will only be for a few days while we make other arrangements. He needs a place to stay and someone to take care of him. Just temporarily," he assured her, avoiding her deadly eyes that were now on him.

"What?" she shrieked. Holy crap! Near staying with them would be like putting the fox in charge in of the hen house. She was sure that Light would be the first suspect on his list of people to keep under close watch and investigation. That guy L had nearly caught Light on several occasions before he was killed with a Death Note himself.

"What was that information you needed to give me Hillie?" her father asked suddenly. She had expressed anger, therefore another change of subject was in order. If anyone would know emotional problems, her father sure would.

Damn. She had forgotten all about that. She did tell him that she was bringing sensitive information for his ears only. Thinking quickly, she tried to come up with something.

"The NPA has a few new leads, nothing conclusive at this time. The most recent suspect is a lawyer name Teru Mikami. You and your SPK buddies might want to start checking into him. It may be something, it may be nothing but it's worth investigating."

"Why didn't you become an agent, Hillie? You're a very good spy. I'm sure I don't even know the beginning of your true skills."

'No. You don't,' she thought to herself, staring at the young man behind the glass.

Hillie was already instituting her purpose for using Teru Mikami. No time like the present to begin throwing him under the microscope to be examined. He would serve as a distraction and a scape goat to take suspicion off of Light. He was a sacrifice she was willing to make to protect her husband. So far, Light had avoided stirring up any mistrust from his fellow members of the Kira investigation team at the NPA, but she knew it would not be long before they started becoming wary of him again. She regarded the platinum blond on the other side of the mirror with mistrust and apprehension. He held the potential of being trouble, serious trouble, for both her and especially Light.

"Come on. Let me introduce you," her father said, taking her by her arm and leading her out of the observation room and around to the door of the room the boy was in.

When they entered the room, he did not look up because he was inserting the last few pieces into the puzzle. Amazing. He had completed the massive puzzle in fifteen minutes or less. Once the last piece was locked into place, his dark gray, almost black eyes, raised to consider Hillie. After inspecting her for a long moment, he spoke.

"Is that your daughter Agent Dayton? She looks like you," Near said, gazing at her with the directness of a curious child.

"Yes. Her name is Hilliard but you can call her Hillie," her father responded.

"Yes, I see," he rejoined, his eyes lowering to her chest.

Hillie sighed with annoyance and rolled her eyes. No matter the age or mental state, a male will still be a male.

"She will be escorting you on your flight to Japan. You will be leaving with her this evening," he told the boy who was still looking Hillie over.

"She seems nice enough. I don't think I'll mind being with her. Do you talk?" Near asked Hillie.

"Sometimes. When I find someone worth talking to," she countered rather rudely.

"It's going to be a long flight," he rejoined with a smirk on his face.

Her sentiments exactly.

* * *

Hillie's father took them to a nearby café for lunch. They were sitting outside at one of the black iron bistro tables with cups of coffee after their simple yet wonderful lunch of Reuben sandwiches and French fries. It pleased her greatly that her father had remembered it was her favorite. She glared at Near across the table from her trying not to be angry with her father for insisting the peculiar and downright eccentric young man come along. Her eyes carefully examined his every movement as he stacked the sugar cubes from the sugar bowl with one hand while dropping cubes from a bowl he had swiped from the neighboring table into his tea. She had counted five so far and he was still dropping them in as he constructed a wall with the others. Absentmindedly stirring her coffee, she continued her intense scrutiny of the young man.

"What?" Near inquired without taking his eyes off of his structure.

"You're an unusual young man, Near," she answered, sipping her lukewarm coffee. How long had she been looking at him?

"I'm weird. Just say it," he encouraged her with another smug smirk tilting his mouth.

"Okay. You're bizarre as hell and you frighten me, Nate River," she informed with complete honesty.

"Come on, Hillie. Don't lie to me. Or yourself," he chided her, his eyes meeting hers. "I don't scare you. I threaten you. You have secrets Hilliard Dayton and you're afraid I'll find out what they are. What could a pretty woman like you possibly have to hide that's so horrible?"

Oh, if he only knew. It was her turn to leer at the observant blond who continued to examine her with evident interest in his dark gray eyes. She would do anything and everything to make sure he never discovered her secrets – or her husband's.


	14. Harshing the Mello

Harshing Her Mello

Hillie apprehensively shrugged her shoulder that was underneath Near's head. She wished the kid had leaned against the window instead of her after falling asleep. So much for sleeping the whole way home; she was wide awake and irritable for many reasons despite lack of sleep. Staring above her in the darkened cabin, she visualized the Death Note safely hidden within her purse. Her thumb rubbed across her ring finger, missing the feeling of her wedding bands.

"Oh, Light," she mumbled out loud, sighing heavily as Near turned and snuggled against her. "Oh, my god."

Hillie was startled when her phone vibrated against her behind causing her to jump and almost push Near off of her. She looked around anxiously making sure none of the flight attendants were around to catch her with her phone. It was a message from Light. She smiled with the thought that it was as if he had heard her call his name a few seconds earlier.

_Honey, I miss you. I'm glad you'll be home soon. I love you. Your rings are safe in my hand, and I can't wait to put them back on your finger. _

Hillie's smile broadened and her heart fluttered as she reread the text. The corrective education on how to be her husband had gone magnificently. She gasped when Near flung his arm around her, his hand almost groping her breast. Why had he developed an attachment to her of all people? Resisting the urge to growl, she decided she better text Light about the tagalong.

_I love you too. I have the package. It's safe and sound. I have a problem that is very NEAR. _

After pressing send, Hillie dropped the phone between her legs to cover it and attempted to peel the problem off of her chest. She held his wrist gently between her thumb and forefinger, laying his hand in his lap carefully. Raising his head with her shoulder slightly, she worked her fingers under his head to tenderly push his head off of her shoulder and toward the back of the seat. Her phone vibrated between her thighs almost making her squeal with surprise and a little bit of delight from unexpected sensation.

_I had gotten a memo that something new was NEAR to coming to the office. I never thought it would be NEAR you._

Hillie almost giggled from the excess utilization of stupid puns using the kid's pseudonym. She bit her lower lip, taking a deep breath as she prepared to type in the clincher of the whole situation.

_We're expected to keep it NEAR us for a few days in the house. _Read Hillie's text to Light informing him that Near would be staying with them.

_Take it to a hotel. I'll make the reservations now. I'll text you the information. _Was Light's response to the news.

Was he serious? Hillie chewed on her lower lip nervously, glancing over at the overgrown child beside her. What was Light thinking? He planned on keeping her locked up in a hotel room with a seventeen year old kid. Did he forget what happens when she is locked in a hotel room with a male? She growled with displeasure when the boy laid his head on her breast to use it for a pillow.

"Mama," he murmured in his sleep.

But this was no man. Near was a permanent emotional child trapped in a body that would continue to grow. Now Hillie just wanted to cry. However, this _child_ that had elicited a burst of sympathy from her was intelligent enough to trace some of the Kira killings back to her husband and take him away from her permanently. She grabbed his head and shoved him forcefully toward the window.

"Ow!" he cried out in pain from the sudden shock of his head thumping against the wall.

"Are you all right? We hit a pocket of turbulence apparently," she lied fabulously, reaching across to rub his head. She smiled at him sweetly as he looked at her with distrust while she massaged the sore spot on his head.

"Thank you. I'm all right," Near assured her, pushing away her hand. After giving her one last long look of suspicion, he picked up the miniscule pillow in his lap and positioned it against the wall to lay his head on it.

Hillie grabbed the blanket that fallen to the floor and lay it over him. She smiled at him what she hoped was a kind smile as she tucked it around his body.

"You don't like me very much do you?" he asked, grabbing her hand.

"I don't know you, Near. I'll admit I'm not happy with the unexpected responsibility of taking care of you but that's not your fault," she said as tenderly as possible, attempting to pull her hand out of his. Her eyes met his as he held fast to her hand.

"No. There's something else. There's another reason and it has to do with whatever you're hiding," he stated pensively, staring intently into her eyes. His forefinger traced the almost undetectable groove in the ring finger of her left hand.

"Stop it. Let go," she demanded, trying to pull away.

"Where are your wedding rings? Why are you hiding the fact you're married? Who are you married to Hillie Dayton? Why don't you want your parents to know that you're married? Is it because of who your husband is?" he asked in rapid fire succession while clasping her hand and retaining her gaze.

"You ask too damn many questions. Let me go, Near before I slap you," she growled through her teeth. Snatching her hand out his surprisingly strong grip, she turned away and pretended to try to go sleep. At this time it was hopeless because she was more wide awake than ever. She could hardly wait to unload this brat in more ways than one.

* * *

Hillie had just sat down in the chair of the living room area of the hotel suite Light had reserved for them when there was a knock on the door. She grumbled irritably because she thought she would finally be rewarded with a few moments of peace after Near was safely tucked away and asleep in the bedroom. Snatching open the door, she was astonished to see a young man with golden blond hair barely taller than her standing there. He was wearing all black leather: a vest rather than a shirt, tight pants, and heavy biker boots. He was cute, almost girly pretty, except for the nasty burn scar covering the left side of his face. He was wearing what looked like a rosary with a cross on it wrapped around his wrist and a long silver necklace with a cross pendant around his neck.

"Who in the hell are you?" she demanded grumpily. She felt like slamming the door in his face when his icy blue eyes looked her over leisurely from head to toe, stopping for a lengthy time in between at her chest.

"I was just about to ask you the same thing," he said, pushing her backwards into the room with his hand on her shoulder. Kicking the door closed, he turned his cruel blue eyes back on her giving her a lengthy stare. "What's your name, Beautiful? Are you going to tell me or do I have to force it out of you by other means?"

Hillie backed away from him as he strode toward her with a positively predatory look in his eyes. She yelped when the wall unexpectedly halted her retreat. Her body tensed and prepared to decide between fight or flight when he trapped her against the wall with his body. Although slim and not very tall for a man, he had a commanding, intimidating presence because of the evident brutality in his eyes and mannerisms. Her chest heaved laboriously as her breath came in loud, wheezing gasps because she inherently knew this man was capable of horrible things. She was tired and felt weak. She already did not want to be here; his unexpected intrusion and threatening presence angered her. With a sudden burst of adrenaline, the fight part of the survival mechanism kicked in and she slid down the wall, pushing off of it with her feet which slid her between his legs. She kicked upwards between his legs with all of her strength, successfully bringing him to his knees before he fell over into a writhing, pitiful heap of pain curled into a fetal position.

"You fucking bitch," he snarled, spittle flying from his mouth in foamy white globs as his lip peeled back from his teeth.

"Yeah, it's the fucking part I wanted to avoid asshole," she growled, kicking him in the ass, literally. "Who are you, you perverted little bastard? Why are you here?"

"I'm Near's caretaker. My name is Mello. I've come to stay with him while he's in Japan," he answered, attempting to sit up then thinking better of it when it caused more pain to his already hurting privates.

"Why the hell weren't you in the United States with him? You could have flown with him instead of me. I have a life to get to you know!" she shrieked, not caring if it woke Near.

"I had to come out a few days ahead to make living arrangements and get all of the briefs from the NPA," he replied, panting like a dog from the agony.

"You fucking suck at it. Why isn't any of it done? How long have you been here? You've obviously accomplished nothing. What the hell have you been doing? Taking care of your own needs you little pervert?" she demanded, attempting to kick him once again but he grabbed ankle and dragged her down to the floor. She screamed when her head smacked the hardwood floor and sent blinding pain through her brain. For a moment she believed she actually saw stars circling her head like cartoon characters do when they get soundly thwacked on the head.

Mello scrambled on top of her, holding her wrists down to the floor while he used his body laying along hers to hold the rest of her down. Without knowing it, he just won the number two spot of people who must die and soon.

"Mello, what are you doing to my friend Hillie?" Near sleepily asked, rubbing his eyes as he stood in the doorway of the bedroom.

"Friend?" the two people asked in stunned harmony while looking at him.

"Hillie, come to bed with me. I'm tired," he whined like a grumpy toddler. He looked like one standing there in his oversized white pjs and sporting a bad case of bed head.

"You heard him. Get off," Hillie ordered, smiling spitefully at the blond on top of her.

"What do you think I was trying to do, Gorgeous?" he inquired, her snort of disgust amusing him by the way he smiled back. He flattened his hands against her breasts to push himself up to a standing position.

"You dirty little fu – " she shrieked to be cut off by the pouty, immature Near.

"Hillie, please," he begged, sounding close to tears.

"Well, you heard him," she said, slapping Mello's hands away when he reached down to help her up. She grinned at him like the cat who ate the canary when she told him, "I have to go sleep with him."

Hillie was still grinning hatefully as she walked toward Near. She could practically feel Mello's eyes burning a hole of hatred and jealousy into her back. For some reason she felt anxious and disconcerted about leaving Near alone with the blond who had mysteriously showed up. Why it bothered her or why she cared, she could not say. She locked the door behind them before laying down on the big king size bed with the overgrown child genius. Staying above the covers, she lay on her side of the large bed on the very edge to keep as much space between them as possible. Her husband would not be happy with this sleeping arrangement and she was definitely less than thrilled herself. After being awake for nearly thirty hours, sleep finally settled over her like a warm heavy blanket.

* * *

Hillie awoke hours later completely disoriented. She had no idea how long she had slept, what time it was, or even where she was at to begin with. Almost screaming from the shock, she realized the white haired boy was firmly held in her arms with his head lying on her chest. She discovered in her drowsy shock that Near had covered her up and had snuggled up to her while she was sleeping. Tears burned her eyes and she kissed his forehead when his arms tightened around her. It was going to break her heart to have him killed but some things are necessary. Light was her main priority and this kid was a threat to that priority.

Light. All she wanted was to be at home with her husband. She missed him terribly. Nausea suddenly welled within her taking her by surprise with its intensity. She immediately extricated herself from the sleeping Near to rush to the bathroom. It was a close call but she did make it to the toilet before her empty stomach rebelled on her. Unfortunately, horrid, burning stomach acid scorched her esophagus and made her feel even more nauseated turning the whole process into a vicious cycle.

"Hillie, are you okay? Is there something I can do?" Near called from the other side of the door, his voice extremely high-pitched and childlike.

'Oh, my god. I'm plotting to kill a child. A child that can get my husband killed,' she reminded herself before retching some more. What the hell is going on here? She's never been squeamish about these things before.


	15. Happy First Anniversary, Daddy!

Happy First Anniversary, Daddy!

Mello had apparently gotten frustrated at some point and left the hotel room for who knows where and neither did Hillie care. All she knew was when she was finally able to stop throwing up, she walked out to a Mello free hotel suite which was a huge relief. Near was sitting on the floor in the living room piecing together another puzzle. Was he even aware of her being in the room with him? When she looked outside, she saw it was early in the morning. Upon looking at the clock, she learned that they had slept until seven AM of the next day. Light had left her a message that an agent would be arriving around noon to stay with Near.

"Hillie?" Near called as she was dozing on the couch.

"What?" she responded drowsily, opening her eyes to look at him. He was looking at her intently while twisting a lock of hair around his finger. She could tell by watching him that this no mere nervous tick; he was in deep, calculated thought and this action seemed to help him think.

"Are you all right?" he asked her, his eyebrows drawing together.

"I think so. I believe it was due to lack of sleep and not eating. Are you hungry? I'll order something from room service."

"That would be a good idea. You need something to eat, Hillie."

Just as they were finishing their simple lunch of soup and salads, there was a knock on the door. Hillie peeked through the peephole this time to see a male agent with longish black hair and brown eyes standing there in a black suit - Touta Matsuda. Breathing a sigh of relief that it was not Mello, she opened the door.

"Oh, Mrs. –" He stared at her with wide eyes after she clapped her hand over his mouth.

Hillie shook her head, placing her forefinger against her lips to signal to him to be quiet and not say her name. She did not want Near knowing who her husband was yet. "Please come in. Near, this is Mr. Matsuda," she said, looking at the boy sitting on the floor who appeared to be ignoring them.

"Hello, Mr. Matsuda. What is Hillie's last name?" he asked pointedly, looking up just in time to watch the two people exchange a quizzical glance.

Matsuda cleared his throat and pulled at his collar as he strived to recall her maiden name. He had been one of the officers in attendance at their wedding. "Dayton," he answered, smiling nervously.

"Why did you address her as a married woman?" he questioned the obviously uneasy and fretful man.

"I did? Oh, I'm always doing dumb things like that. Aren't I, Miss Dayton?" he chuckled apprehensively, pulling at his collar again.

"Yes, yes, you are Matsuda," she heartily agreed. "Touta, tell me what you know about a person named Mello."

"He's a friend of Near's. He's another genius like Near sent here to help us with the investigation. He said he would be coming here to see him. Did he?" he inquired, watching her walk over to Near and crouch down beside him.

"Oh, yes. He definitely did," she replied, running her fingers through Near's hair while he worked on the puzzle. "I don't trust that man. I think he wants to hurt Near."

"He would never hurt me, Hillie. He's my friend," the man-child told her never looking away from his puzzle.

Hillie knew evil, and she had seen it in the blonde's cold blue eyes. She sighed with exasperation becoming irritated as her emotions ebbed and flowed about Near. One minute she hated him and wanted him dead; another minute she had the overwhelming urge to hold him and protect him. What in the hell was her problem? Rational, logical thought seemed to be difficult for her all of a sudden and her emotions waged a war inside her head.

"Near, I have to leave," she informed him, pressing her hand against his cheek when he looked at her.

"But why?" he queried, imploring her not to go with huge dark gray eyes.

"I need to go home. I have things I need to take care of," she answered, thinking about her husband.

"Will you come see me?" He grabbed her hand and held it.

God. He was making this so problematic. Hillie glanced at Matsuda who shrugged his shoulders. No big surprise that no help would be coming from him. "I don't know if I can. You're like a secret weapon of the NPA and SPK and outsiders like me should not interfere."

"But I'm asking you. I want to see you. They have to give me what I want," he said managing to sound like an arrogant, spoiled child.

"I have to leave," she announced emotionlessly, jerking her hand from his. She grabbed her purse and refused to turn around as she walked to the door. Shockingly enough, the boy never made a sound as she hastily exited the room. In the elevator her tears began to fall. Something was wrong with her. She would be stopping by a pharmacy on her way home.

* * *

"What is that, Hillie?" Ryuk inquired nosily, staring at the white stick she held in her hand.

"It's a pregnancy test, Ryuk," Hillie answered as if she were in a daze.

"What does that plus sign mean?" he asked, staring at her pale face.

"It means Light got his heart's desire. He's going to be a father," she replied, taking the test to the kitchen trash can and shoving it down the side toward the bottom. She washed her hands, scrubbing as if she were trying to remove the first layer of skin.

"This is a good thing right? Aren't you happy? Hillie?" He placed his hands on her shoulders, turning her face him when she did not answer.

Silent tears were trickling down her face. With human women that could mean they were happy or sad. He was thoroughly confused. "Hillie, you're happy right?"

"Ryuk, do you love me?" she questioned him, looking at his big red bugged eyes.

"Yes, Hillie, I do, but what – "

"There's something I need you to do for me. I'm lending the Death Note to Teru Mikami. There are two people I want him to kill specifically. After they're dead, I want you to kill him. I don't care how you accomplish it. Just get it done. When it's over, get that Death Note and give it to someone else. Don't ever bring it back to Light. Do you understand?"

"Yes. I understand," he stated in a low serious way, quite different than his usual flippant, carefree manner of speaking. "I will do it for you, Hillie."

"Thank you." She touched his chest, closing her eyes in an attempt to hold back the tears welling within them.

"You do understand that I will have to return for Light some day. It is my duty to kill him," he regretfully informed her.

"I know. Just give him to me for as many years as you can, Ryuk," she sobbed, hugging him tightly. She closed her eyes and let the tears fall.

"I will. For you." The perplexed Shinigami ran his fingers through her hair, holding her tightly as she cried.

What the hell had she done to him? This woman was even more frightening than Light Yagami with her ability to manipulate and control. She was more insidious and seductive, springing the trap on the unsuspecting victim before they could even comprehend that they were caught. Once again she had proved what a perfect match she was for Light.

"By the way, don't mention the pregnancy test to him. I want to tell him after on our first anniversary."

* * *

Hillie met Light at the door that evening, greeting him with a kiss that propelled them straight to the couch where he made love to her with the swiftness and desperation of a teenager apprehensive about his parents coming home. She wanted to tell him the good news so badly especially afterward as they lay content in each other's arms in the wonderful afterglow of satisfying sex. However, she wanted to wait for an even more perfect moment. Their first year anniversary was coming up soon.

Light reached for his pants, digging something out of the pocket. He held up her rings before taking her left hand in his. He slid the rings back on her finger before raising her hand to his lips to press a kiss to the back of it.

"There, my love. Back where they belong," he said, kissing her lips briefly.

"You carried them around with you the whole time?" she asked, stroking his face with her fingertips as sentimental tears of joy welled in her eyes.

"Yes, I did. I would take them out and look at them sometimes when I was missing you. I was looking forward to this moment when I could put them back on your finger and officially reclaim you as my wife," he told her, kissing her hand again. It was only a two and a half day separation.

"I love you, sweetheart," she sniffed as the tears flowed freely, prompted by the strong emotions.

"I love you too," he replied, kissing her for a lengthy time with fervor to show her how much. "Hey, our anniversary is coming up in a few days. I made reservations at our restaurant. I already ordered the cake with extra strawberries."

Hillie hugged him as the tears flowed faster. She had her husband back just in time for him to be a father.

* * *

Teru Mikami was his usual condescending self toward her and the nauseating, flattering sycophant to Light. After dinner, Hillie excused herself to retrieve the Death Note. Receiving it would be his just desserts tonight. She stopped in the kitchen to bid the Shinigami farewell before reentering the dining room. Holding the notebook in front of her so the silver letters would be prominently displayed and easily read, she sat down in her chair across from Teru. Ryuk stood behind her with his hands on her shoulders.

"Is that what I think it is?" he inquired, his eyes transfixed on it and full of lust like most normal men would look at a naked woman. He was practically drooling.

Hillie was glad she would never have to view that expression on Light's face again. The attitude adjustment she had given her husband coupled with the insistence that this would only be temporary, that Teru Mikami would be only be _borrowing_ the Death Note, had convinced Light to allow her to transfer the notebook to the lawyer.

"Of course it is genius. What the hell else would be it?" she snapped derisively, sneering at him when his shocked eyes flickered up to hers that were filled with contempt and disgust for him.

"Mrs. Yagami, I don't think – "

"I don't care what you think, you repulsive brownnosing bastard. You didn't know I was the one with it obviously. However, I'd rather you kiss my husband's ass than mine because he tolerates it better. You just make me sick."

"Mrs. Yagami – "

"Mr. Mikami, we are lending this Death Note to you and entrusting you with the daunting task of carrying on the work of Kira. I'm sure as much as you've ranted and raved about your sense of justice and punishment you will not bring shame to my husband and the work he has done," she said, holding the book out to Teru.

"No. Absolutely not. I will continue the Kira legacy with great pride. This is such an honor," he gushed, touching the book.

Hillie observed his reaction with great interest. She had been waiting for this moment and it was finally here. She was almost panting with excitement and anticipation. Biting her lower lip as the show began, she watched his dark eyes grow wide with unrelenting terror. The color drained from his face and his mouth dropped open. A choking, almost gagging sound emitted from his mouth as he tried to speak. A strangled, girlish shriek tore from his throat as he reflexively kicked his feet in an effort to run which successfully toppled his chair over backwards to send him painfully crashing to the floor where he screamed once more like a twelve year old girl in horror and discomfort.

Hillie, Ryuk, and even Light were laughing riotously at the man's adverse reaction to the appearance of the scary as hell itself death god. They howled louder when he apprehensively peeked above the table to get another look at the Shinigami standing behind the woman and holding on to her shoulders.

"Mr. Mikami, I'd like to introduce you to Ryuk," Hillie announced quite aware that she was enjoying this way too much. "He will be your death god on the trip you are about to embark upon. Please enjoy your slow descent into madness and hell. Congratulations. You're the proud owner of a Death Note. Welcome to making the perfect world, Kira."

* * *

A few nights later, Hillie and Light were in the private room of the restaurant waiting on the cake to be brought in after their dinner.

"What's this?" Light asked the server when the strawberries were brought in a bowl instead of on top of the cake.

"Light, sweetheart, look at the cake," Hillie encouraged him. She was shocked by just how dumb smart men could be sometimes as he stared, completely perplexed and hopelessly confused, at the figurine of the sleepy father holding a crying baby on top of the cake.

"Happy First Anniversary, Daddy," he read out loud, his face still wearing a mystified expression. "Daddy?"

"Yes, my love," she said, grabbing his hand and pressing it against her belly. "Daddy. You. You, Light Yagami, are going to be a Daddy!"

Comprehension finally sank in, his beautiful face breaking into a wide grin something like that of the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland. He grabbed her, kissing her long and hard right there in the restaurant – no strawberry necessary.

"How far along are you?" he asked, pressing both of his hands to her belly.

"About eight weeks. The doctor said the baby is doing fine so far and so am I. Come with me next time so you can hear the heartbeat and see the ultrasound," she told him, sighing with delight and pleasure when his lips pressed to hers. "I should get pregnant more often."

"I plan for you to. Why don't we move to the United States? It will be so much easier to raise a big family there. We can buy a big house with lots of land. Oh, sweetheart, it could be so wonderful!" he cried out, embracing her so tightly she could not breathe.

It was quite wonderful already. Hillie's mind started rushing full speed like a runaway train to formulate a plan. There were just a few loose ends to tie up here. Light could work on throwing all of the suspicion off on Teru Mikami as the Kira suspect. Mikami was going to kill Near and Mello before doing himself in so that would take care of those problems. He would be blamed for her brother's death instead of Light. After Mikami is named the present Kira by Light, Hillie could speak to her father about somehow getting Light hired as a distinctive member of the SPK. He could act as a liaison to the NPA to secure that connection for sharing information between the agencies. There were more Kira's out there because there were other Death Notes. Light had still been working under the guise of bringing those killers to justice while covering his own tracks. Who better to bring them down than one of their own? Sometimes it takes a killer to find a killer.

"What are thinking about Hillie Yagami?" he asked when he noted she was very preoccupied and unresponsive to him.

"I'm planning our happily ever after, Light. I love you and I always want to be with you," she said, hugging him tightly, urgently as if she might be torn away from him at any second.

"I feel the same way. Don't worry, Hillie. We can do this. We'll do this together," he assured her, kissing her cheek while she clung to him. "Come to the station tomorrow. Near's been asking for you."

Hillie sighed as sadness filled her. She had purposely been avoiding Near. The short time she had spent with him had resulted in her developing some sort of feelings for him. When she found out she was pregnant, she understood the reason for the emotions a bit better. Her motherly instincts had already started to kick in she guessed. She _wanted_ to protect Near, to help him, but she also knew what _needed_ to be done. Kissing her husband, she reminded herself why the perpetual man-child had to die. She would allow no one – not even Near – to take her Light away.


	16. The Good Bad News

The Good Bad News

Hillie took a deep breath before pushing open the glass front door of the National Police Agency. She smiled at the young dark haired receptionist who waved at her as if she knew her.

"Mrs. Yagami! How good to see you! Congratulations, by the way. Mr. Yagami is such a proud father. He's already told everyone that he's going to be a daddy," the girl giggled, her soft brown eyes sparkling.

"Thank you. You're so sweet, Akiko," Hillie complimented, smiling. It seemed to please the young woman that she knew her name. She would not have the heart to tell her she read it from her name tag.

"Here's your visitor's pass. I'll call your husband for you," Akiko told her, handing her the plastic badge and picking up the phone.

Hillie was standing by the stairs waiting for her husband when he came bounding down the steps toward her. She smiled broadly at him; he did look so incredibly happy. A giggle bubbled up from her when he grabbed her around the waist and swung her around. She kissed him briefly when he set her down on her feet. This was definitely the man she had fallen in love with.

"He's waiting for you," Light said, taking her by the hand to lead her to Near.

Hillie was nervous about seeing him. She had seriously considered visiting Teru Mikami to find Ryuk and ask him to call the whole thing off. Her eyes moved to her husband as he held her close to him while they walked. Her time was limited with him as it was. Why would she chance cutting it shorter by him wasting away in jail for several years? Besides, she would not be the one actually killing Near.

Light opened the door to a room full of desks and agents. He led her toward the back where it was set up like a living room with a couch, chairs, and coffee table. A laptop was sitting on the table with a big, white, old English script N on the black screen. Near was sitting on the floor stacking dice like he had stacked the sugar cubes at the café the first day she had met him.

Hillie had worn jeans just for this purpose because she knew he would be sitting on the floor like always. She sat down beside him, touching his shoulder.

"I've missed you, Hillie," Near stated emotionlessly without out looking at her. He continued stacking the dice for what seemed several minutes before he finally looked at her. Reaching out to touch her face, his hand pressed against her cheek. His eyes moved to Light who was standing nearby watching silently. "He's your husband? I understand why you did not want me to know."

"What difference does it make to you who my husband is Near?" she demanded, wondering why he did not seem surprised about the identity of her husband. Anger was building within her from his uninterested cheekiness. She had the distinct feeling he was about to push her too far.

"You tell me what difference it makes. You're the one who would not tell me who you were married to. You _should_ hide it and be ashamed. You married a _murderer_," he told her with a hateful tone to his voice.

Hillie pressed her lips together in a thin line. _Murderer _– that word hit her last nerve and burned into her brain like hot oil burns through the skin. The fury within her continued to boil and build, seething like hot lava beneath a volcano. One more wrong word, and she could explode.

"I know you're the successor of L who believed Light was Kira. I could not bear it if you suspected him too." She removed her hand from his shoulder, gasping when he grabbed her face and forced her to look into his eyes. Her breathing was coming in loud wheezes while she struggled to maintain her façade of calm.

"Look me in the eyes and tell me he's not a murderer, Hillie. Make me believe it, and I will drop him as the number one suspect from my list," he murmured in a disturbingly tranquil manner, squeezing her cheeks to keep her still when she struggled to free herself. He was no longer a sweet little boy; he had morphed into a menacing, threatening man along the likes of his friend Mello. This unforeseen transition frightened Hillie.

"Near, let her go," Light ordered forcefully, refusing to put his hands on the boy. If he touched the kid, it would not end well for anyone. The threat expressed in his voice was so evident it made nearby agents turn around to see what was going on.

"Does it matter what I think? You're an elite prodigy. What does my opinion matter to you?" she challenged, rubbing her face after he released her. The strength he held in his small body never ceased to amaze her.

"It does not matter to me. In the end, you will not sway me one way or the other. It matters to _you_. I want to know what you really believe," he stated tonelessly, turning his attention back to his dice. "Are you still sick?"

"No. I was never sick. I'm pregnant," she announced, not expecting a reaction. She was not disappointed. It was as if he never heard her at all as he continued to stack the small squares.

"Oh, a baby. How wonderful for you," he rejoined, his cheeks turning pink.

'Was he angry or embarrassed or what? What the hell was that reaction all about?' Hillie contemplated silently as she observed him.

"Near," she murmured, touching his cheek.

"Go away, Hillie," he muttered, apparently irritated with her as he wrenched himself away from her touch.

Jealousy? Was he upset because she was pregnant? Hillie knew he was already fuming and disappointed because she was married to Light, his number one suspect. Then to find out she was pregnant by the murderer would certainly not make him feel better. Her father had grossly understated it when he advised her that Near had emotional problems.

"Near," she called again to be ignored. She placed her hand on his shoulder, and he lurched away as if he had been touched by fire. At that moment her anger came rushing up in the inevitable explosion. She pushed over the foot high tower of dice, scattering them all over the floor with a loud clattering noise. Who in the hell did this brat think he was?

"I hate you, Hillie!" Near yelled, lunging at her.

Light grabbed the irate young man before he could pounce on her. "Hillie, leave!" he ordered her, hanging on to the belligerent Near who glared at her with unmistakable hatred.

Hillie stood up and swiftly walked away. Whatever sympathy and feelings she had for Near were killed during this visit. She was now convinced that she had made the correct decision by asking Ryuk to make Mikami kill him. Pressing her hand to her belly, she walked away feeling nauseated more from the sudden burst of emotions rather than her pregnancy. At least she would no longer regret it or feel guilty when Near died. _Murderer._ The word reverberated in her head and the nausea worsened. She ran to the stairs, wanting to get out of there as quickly as possible. Her departure was abruptly halted when someone grabbed her arm.

"Hey, Beautiful! Where are you going?" a familiar and unwelcome voice asked.

Hillie looked up into the ugly yet beautiful face of Mello. She wrenched her arm free from his grasp without saying a word and continued her rapid descent down the stairs.

"Hey…hey!" he yelled, running after her. He apprehended her again at the bottom of the stairs.

"What do you want?" she sighed with annoyance, rolling her eyes.

"Did you visit Near?" he asked her, being serious and not looking at her as if she were something to eat. He nervously toyed with the cross on his necklace as she stared at him for a long moment.

"Yes. He hates me now," she said, feeling upset by that fact but she was not sure why.

"He thought you belonged to him. He's been angry since he found out who your husband is," he explained to her. "You're married to Kira. You know that right?"

'Great. Young genius number two suspects him also. Dammit, Light! I thought you were smarter than that,' she thought to herself, running her fingers through her long brown hair with frustration.

"What do you mean he thought I belonged to him?" she queried, staring at his blue eyes that were almost emotionally neutral with only an ambient hatred gleaming in them.

"Yeah. He thought of you as a mother. He saw your wedding picture sitting on your husband's desk the first day we were here. He feels like you betrayed him. What else did you do to make him angry?"

"Excuse me? Who in the hell do you think you are?" She gave voice to her question this time instead of just pondering in her head. "How dare you ask a question like that?"

'Mother? Oh that explains his anger and jealousy about the baby,' her brain reasoned when those words finally sank in.

"He doesn't like very many people, Hillie. You were special to him," Mello told her as if to purposely heap on the guilt she was already fighting to ignore.

"It was a plane ride and nothing more. I was never meant to be his guardian and certainly not his substitute mother," she snapped, glaring at the unmistakably controlling blond. What did he hope to gain by manipulating her by using Near? It just seemed to be a habit with him more than anything. She wanted no part of either one of them anymore. She was done here. "Tell him I apologize for any misconceptions and wrong ideas he might have gotten. That goes for you too. Good-bye, Mello."

Hillie continued down the stairs and hurriedly exited the front doors. The bracing autumn breeze hit her in the face and made her gasp from the coolness against her anger heated skin.

'Come on, Ryuk. Hurry up and end this,' she thought silently, stomping down the sidewalk at a fast clip. She decided to walk a bit to calm down before she boarded the bus for home.

Hillie sat down on a bench in the park close to the location where her and Light were married. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths to inhale the cool, cleansing air. Her phone alerted her to a text which startled her because of her nerves being so raw.

_Near is asking for you. Can you come back?_ Light queried.

_No. I will never come back there as long as he is there. _She replied.

Hillie had to make a break from all of this before she lost what little bit of sanity she held. She had to separate herself from all things Kira with the obvious exception of her husband. Why should she risk getting hurt any further by the emotionally troubled Near who could spell doom for her husband? Mello posed an apparent physical and emotional threat so she would definitely be avoiding him at all costs. She had experienced enough emotional traumas already during her struggles with Light. It was time to walk away from all of that and protect herself and her baby, and in the process her husband as well. As soon as Mikami was targeted as Kira, she would be making that call to her father. She would be moving her family to the United States far away from the Death Note and anything connected to it.

* * *

Four weeks later, Light went with Hillie to her twelve week checkup. He heard the heartbeat and saw his baby on the ultrasound screen. He sat mesmerized while listening to the somewhat mechanical sound of the heartbeat and watching the corresponding white flicker of the heart on the screen. His wife wiped away the tears that slid from his eyes unchecked while he sat completely still under the spell of the wonderful little human growing inside of her abdomen.

Later, Hillie and Light were sitting on the couch watching television enjoying a quiet evening at home together. He had pulled up her shirt to lay his head directly against her belly that had developed a slight outward curve. Occasionally he would kiss or caress her tummy while she brushed her fingers through his silky hair that tickled her skin.

"I love you, Light," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

"I love you too, Hillie. And you too," he added, kissing her belly.

Light's phone rang and they both released an annoyed grumble. He was trying to sit up, but she kept pulling him back.

"Don't get that," she begged, throwing her arms around his waist when he stood up from the couch.

"Hillie, you know I have to," he murmured gently, stroking her head. He grabbed his phone from the coffee table, patting her head as if she were his favorite pet.

Hillie felt his body go rigid so she dropped her arms from around him. Bad news. It had to be. She stared at him as he walked across the room without saying a word. It was real bad news because he had not been able to speak a word since answering the phone. Had it happened? Was it finally over? Chewing on the inside of her lip anxiously, she watched Light as he paced the floor while nervously running his fingers through his hair. She bit through the skin of her mouth when his eyes met hers with an expression that was an odd mixture of sadness and relief. She did not even taste the blood as it ran into her mouth because she was filled with elation.

"Oh, Ryuk, you did it. You saved him. Thank you," she whispered wishing she could express her gratitude to the Shinigami. She would buy him an apple orchard if she could.

"I'll be there in twenty minutes," Light said, hanging up the phone. He ran to Hillie, pulling her up from the couch and kissing her. "All three of our problems are dead! Baby, get on the phone and call your Father. We've got a whole new life to begin."

Hillie momentarily stood on her feet swaying back and forth before dropping to her knees beside the couch. She began to sob, sucking in loud gasps of hair between violent wails as she cried. She ignored her startled husband who could only stand and watch her in a stunned silence.

"Sweetheart? Hillie?" Light called, growing concerned when the weeping did not stop. He knelt down in front of her, holding her tightly against him.

Hillie continued to cry for several minutes, unable to stop. She cried out several years' worth of pain and anger in those few minutes. Sorrow from her brother's death and the fact it was caused by the man she loved combined with the fear and frustration of the past year and a half had made a volatile emotional mix that exploded. The relief and joy that came with news that the final parts of the equation had been removed to give them a successful formula for a happy future together had been what broke the dam of emotion.

Near died peacefully in his sleep from a heart attack. Mello died in a hail of gun fire when his mafia connections turned on him. Teru Mikami was found in his office hanging over his desk. He had carved 'I am Kira' into his belly with a knife before hanging himself. Ryuk had made a copy of the Death Note to be left on Mikam's desk for the NPA to find for evidence. It contained the name of Hillie's brother along with Near and Mello's names. The real Death Note would be buried, burned, or given away; whatever Ryuk wanted to do with it. It was totally up to him now what happened to the detestable book.

It was over for Hillie and Light. No more Death Note and no more Kira. Now their new life together could begin.


	17. Their Happily Ever After

Their Happily Ever After

Hillie sat on the floor crying still gripping the phone in her hand. That conversation had not gone at all like she had planned. She had called her father and proceeded to tell him about her secret marriage and her pregnancy. The dialogue was tense and heated with a few choice words being flung her way which was understandable. What father wants to suddenly find out his daughter is married and pregnant? Although she was a grown up, she was still his daughter. When she revealed the identity of her husband, the conversation went really wrong.

"_Who?" her father asked incredulously. _

"_Light Yagami," she repeated, her voice faltering. She chewed on her lower lip anxiously because of the disconcerting silence on the other end of the phone. When her father spoke again, she nearly bit through her lip._

"_You married a murderer. You married your brother's killer," he stated, his voice toneless yet menacing in its lack of emotion._

"_But it wasn't –"_

"_Yes, it was Hillie and you know it!" he yelled into the phone so loudly it made her ear hurt. "You know it was him. You studied the evidence and so have I. I know you went after him specifically. You're not stupid. You knew who your brother's killer was before you boarded that first plane to Japan."_

"_Daddy, I –"_

"_Don't, Hilliard. Don't call me again. Don't come see me. Just don't," he mumbled and hung up._

Now Hillie sat on the floor, a sobbing, whimpering mess. So much for her plan. Time to make a new one.

* * *

Epilogue

Asahi Ringo was born in the United States and brought home to live on an apple farm his parents bought in Tennessee. Hillie bought that apple orchard after all to become the place where her and Light raised their family and lived out their days together. It was their source of income and their source of life. Cool fall days were the best when they would go to pick the apples then have a picnic lunch beneath the boughs of the trees. Their family grew to include three more children: two more boys and a little girl. Light almost had his house full of boys but little Avalon Kamiko came along and her daddy could not have been more pleased. She was hopelessly spoiled being his only girl and the baby of the family.

Hillie and Light had just returned home from taking their baby to the airport. They had put her on an airplane to fly to California to attend a prestigious university. She was the last of their children to leave home to begin their own life. The tears had not yet dried from their eyes as they parked the famiy SUV in the garage. They could trade it in now. A big family vehicle was no longer necessary.

"Hillie," Light sniffed, reaching for his wife's hand. "I'm going inside to lie down for a while."

"All right, sweetheart. I think I'll take a walk through the orchard. It's nice and quiet out there today since we gave the workers the day off. I just need a little time," she snuffled, pressing the tissue against her eyes that somehow still produced tears.

Light leaned across the console to her placing his hand against her cheek to bring her face to his. He kissed her for a surprisingly lengthy time, staring into her eyes afterward. Something felt wrong about that kiss. It was more than an I love you. It felt like a good-bye.

"I love you, Light," Hillie murmured, leaning toward him for another kiss.

"I love you too, Hillie," he rejoined, sliding his fingers through her hair while giving her a wavering smile.

They each got out of the vehicle to go their separate ways.

Hillie was winding her way through the perfectly straight rows of fully loaded apple trees. She was not really paying attention to where she was walking because it didn't really matter. Taking a deep breath, she raised her face to the fall sun that was still warm as the crisp breeze blew across her skin. She was crying again. The wind caused her warm tears to instantly grow cold on her face. She wiped them away with the long sleeve of her t-shirt. A loud crunching sound caught her attention and she wondered if squirrels were in the apple trees again grabbing them a treat. Looking up, she saw an apple floating in midair while it disappeared bite by bite. Oh, no. It was time.

"Hello again, Ryuk. It's been many years," Hillie said, watching as the Shinigami gradually appeared from his spiky black hair down to his feet in front of her. She immediately went numb from the overload of emotion from seeing the death god. She knew this day was coming but knowledge had not prepared her for the pain.

"It has been a long time," he returned, reaching out to touch her face with the tips of his long talon like nails. "I've come for him."

"I know," she answered stoically, lowering her eyes to the ground. "Can I stay with him until the end?"

"If you really want to," he answered, following her as she turned to walk back to the house. "You've had a happy life, Hillie. Just like you wanted."

"Yes. I've had a very happy life. We've loved each other the whole way through and never stopped. We even have four beautiful children to show for it. Asahi looks just like his father," she stated in an emotionless voice. It was too painful to feel anything right now. Her husband was about to die right in front of her.

They walked in silence all the way to the bedroom where Light slept. They stared at him as he lay in peaceful slumber completely unaware of their presence. Hillie sighed deeply, her breath hitching from all of the tears she had cried. Remembering the kiss, she realized he must have been expecting this.

"Do you want to wake him up?" Ryuk asked, watching her as tears silently slid down her face. Giving her extra seconds, he slowly pulled out his notebook. His eyes were on her as he held the pen above the page at the ready for her signal.

"No. We've already said good-bye. Just do it," she murmured, closing her eyes to keep from watching as Ryuk wrote his name. The scratching of the pen scraped across her nerves like fingernails down a chalkboard. She gritted her teeth hard enough to make her jaw hurt while tears dripped from her chin.

"Forty seconds, Hillie," he announced, closing the notebook.

Hillie sat down beside Light, stroking his cheek. She leaned forward pressing a kiss to his lips. She laid her head on his chest, listening to the rhythm of his heart speeding up.

"Twenty seconds," Ryuk announced.

"Please…" she begged raising her hand. She did not want a countdown to her husband's demise. It was happening and she knew it – that was enough. She sat up just before Light lurched upwards almost head butting her. Her shaking fingers reached out to touch his face as his horror stricken eyes turned to her while his hand grasped his chest.

Light's fear filled eyes moved from her to the Shinigami and he began to calm down despite the pain in his chest. He knew what was happening. The inevitable had come in the form of the clown like death god. He had known this would occur from the moment he chose to write the first name in the book. Reaching out for his wife, she wrapped her arms around him to hold him while he died. At least he was with her for this; she always said she would be with him until the end.

"Hillie, I love you," Light gasped, groaning with pain.

"I love you too," she sobbed, hanging on to him desperately. If only she could hold him tight enough…

Hillie held her breath as his body relaxed and became completely limp in her arms. She gaped with terrified awareness as his head dropped back lifelessly. Releasing a mournful cry like that of a wolf howling at the moon, she held her dead husband and rocked him while continuing her sorrowful wailing.

Ryuk had never been one to feel many emotions so he found it disturbing when the ache welled up inside of him for Hillie. He had always loved her and knew she loved Light. He had learned that sometimes one has to sacrifice everything for the one they love. That was why he had been willing to do anything and everything for her. He would have died for her but it never came to that.

"Take me too," she sobbed, carefully laying her husband down on the bed. She wrapped her arms around the waist of the startled death god, nuzzling her face against his bony chest. "Please, write my name in your Death Note."

"I won't. I refuse, Hillie," he stubbornly replied, running his fingers through her hair.

"You have to. I can't live without him! Please!" she yowled, dropping to her knees. "I am begging you, please…please kill me."

Ryuk reached down with his long arms and pulled her up to her feet. He hugged her one last time.

"No. You have your children who need you. I won't kill you, Hillie. Good-bye." And he was gone.

Ryuk was right. She had four more reasons to live. She would have grandchildren to love as well one day. Even though the Light of her life was gone, there was no reason for her world to grow dark.

The End

* * *

Notes: Asahi means morning or sunlight, Ringo is Japanese for apple. It was not because of Ringo Starr from the Beatles.

Kamiko means little goddess. Avalon means apple.


End file.
